Analysis of Donato Bramante's Tempietto Essay Example

During the stretch of time between the fourteenth and the seventeenth century, what many historians call one of the greatest artistic movements took place. An evolution of cultural creation that is currently known today as the Italian Renaissance. As this period began to develop itself, it took on a distinct set of ideas and beliefs that came to be defined in the many monumental works of its time. One work, in particular, the Tempietto, was created by High Renaissance architect Donato Bramante and is considered to be one of the many architectural landmarks of this era. The Tempietto gains its significance by reflecting the culture of the Italian Renaissance through reviving Greco-Roman architectural norms and combining them with that of Renaissance Christianity.

Like that of any other work found within the Italian Renaissance, a revival of the Greco-Roman ideals of Antiquity can be found present in many aspects of the Tempietto’s design. The great architects of this rebirth period, with Bramante as no exception, studied the landmarks of Ancient Greek and Roman culture and embedded the principles of what they found into works of their own. As stated in the section of the book Arts and Humanities Through the Eras, titled “The High Renaissance”, edited by Edward Bleiberg, “During the course of the fifteenth-century, architects had fastidiously studied classical Antiquity, and in the High Renaissance had achieved a mastery over ancient styles…” (25). The High Renaissance period of the Italian Renaissance specifically saw a monumental step in the development of this era’s culture in the architecture that was produced. A direct reflection of the Greco-Roman’s many artistic values that the Italian’s strived to recreate becomes very apparent. In just the structure of the Tempietto alone, with its “centralized plan, based on the circle and square,” as described by Alina Payne in her journal article “Rudolf Wittkower and Architectural Principles in the Age of Modernism”, Bramante’s design utilizes geometric proportions that come directly from the classical works in which he studied (325). A specific example of the architectural work of antiquity that shows this revival of design in which Bramante implemented into his Tempietto can be seen in the Pantheon. To paraphrase from “The Tempietto and the Roots of Coincidence”, a journal article published by Mark Jones, this temple of the Greeks employed the use of a geometrical configuration involving a square interior inscribed within a circular dome, just like that of the Tempietto (18). Bramante’s intention behind the implementation of these specific mathematical shapes within the design of his own Renaissance temple was not only to resemble the look of architecture from antiquity but to also draw on the ideality in which these shapes were meant to radiate. That of harmony and symmetry that, much like how they were valued within classical culture, were also held highly and subsequently became implemented in the culture of the Renaissance (Jones). Another of Bramante’s aspects of design, meant to reference the revival of Greco-Roman values emphasized within the Italian Renaissance, was his use of columns surrounding the Tempietto. Within the journal article, “Reviving Antiquity with Granite: Spolia and the Development of Roman Renaissance Architecture”, written by Michael Waters, he introduces Bramane’s use of columns by writing that, “while they visually stand apart from the rest of the structure, they are fully integrated into its classical Composition” (165). Similar to his use of circular proportions in the dome of the Tempietto and in the composition of the building itself to create a square, Bramante also takes from the classical creation of columns within the construction of his temple. This is done to further its symmetrical and therefore harmonious appeal that was so highly valued within Renaissance culture. Bramante was actually so successful in his attempts to revive Greco-Roman ideals of antiquity that it is said the Tempietto can in no way be modified, with nothing taken away nor added, without creating a disruption to the harmony of its whole. (Jones 22). 

In the Tempietto’s use of historic architectural design, Bramante utilizes his fruitful reflection of the harmonious ideals of the classics in order to enhance Renaissance devotion to that of Christianity. The Tempiettos true purpose is as that of a martyrium, or a “building designed to mark the spot on which a martyr met his or her end”, a definition given by Paul Davies in his essay titled “Framing the Miraculous: The Devotional Functions of Perspective in Italian Renaissance Tabernacle Design” (917). Specifically, Bramante built this temple overtop the supposed place of St. Peter’s crucifixion, and in doing so, created a place in which pilgrims could journey to strengthen their faith in God. As Bramante constructed such a place to be used for devotional purposes, he therefore further enabled the spread of Christian religion, deepening its importance in Italian Renaissance culture. To ensure that this martyrium was successful in doing such, Bramante made use of its harmonic principles of antiquity. Particularly, the Tempietto makes use of the ideal circle within the interior of its design, what is known as a radial pattern. While this temple was a marker to St. Peter’s martyrdom in its entirety, the center would have been the precise spot in which his crucifixion took place, which was of most importance to the pilgrims who visited it (Davies 918). This radial design, therefore, acted as a guide in which pilgrims' eyes would follow that led their focus to the exact location in which Peter died, the heart of the Tempietto, and from this clear focal point, enhanced their devotional experience to the utmost degree. In addition to Bramante’s design of the Tempietto using classical components to aid in its usage as a devotional site of Christian Religion, he also used the architectural style of antiquity to create a resemblance to that of God Himself. Referring back to the work of Alina Payne, the use of harmonic proportions of design within the Tempietto, both echo and reveal the divine power and perfection of God (326). By using elements of classical design to echo and resemble the idea of God within the temple’s structure Bramante was, either accidentally or through intention, able to simultaneously and symbolically embed God into the actual architecture itself. This divine presence that Bramante had created remains a direct representation of the importance of God and Christian religion within the culture of the Italian Renaissance as it emphasizes how artists of this time worked to reflect their religious ideals in anything in which they created.

At first glance, Donato Bramante’s Tempietto may be overlooked as just another of the plethora of architectural works that have been produced throughout the span of history. However, this temple comes from one of the most culturally significant periods of post-modern times. By taking a closer look, the aspects and sources of its creation become vividly apparent. From its demonstration of the Italian Renaissance revival of Classical antiquity, with its use of the ideal geometric shapes of circle and square to produce a harmonious architectural design, the Tempietto was also able to use these same ideals to reflect the Christian values of that time. As Bramante made a contribution to the productivity of the Italian Renaissance, he too was able to create a lasting reflection of this culture that can now be studied and dissected years after its creation.