Languages of Baroque
Models and ornaments; materials and techniques
In the exuberant world of Baroque decoration two different materials deserve special mention in the context of Central European and Portuguese Baroque.
In the exuberant world of Baroque decoration two different materials deserve special mention in the context of Central European and Portuguese Baroque: stucco decoration made of an aggregate, a binder and water, an important part of the art of bel composto; and azulejos, the painted and glazed ceramic tile-pieces that were typically found in Portugal. In the second half of the 17th century blue-and-white tiles from Delft were introduced to Portugal by Gabriel del Barco y Minusca. The turn of the century is considered the Golden Age of the Azulejo (the Cycle of the Masters), characteristic for its Baroque rhetoric.
St. Thomas of Villanova Church

1658–62
Castel Gandolfo, Rome, Latium, Italy
Architect: Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598–1680); interior stucco decoration: Bernini's Lombardian pupil Antonio Raggi (1624–85); painting: Pietro da Cortona (1596–1669), Giacinto Gimignani (1611–81) and Guglielmo Cortese (1628–79)
The intentional simplicity of the façade, punctuated by pilaster strips and the papal coat-of-arms and characterised by a high, ribbed cupola, contrasts with the elegance of the interior – a Greek cross – where Raggis rich and detailed decorative stuccowork in white and gold covers the high altar.