Michelangelo's late Roman buildings, particularly St. Peter's Basilica, may be considered precursors of baroque architecture, as the design of the latter achieves a colossal unity that was previously unknown. His pupil Giacomo della Porta continued this work in Rome, particularly in the facade of the Jesuit church Il Gesu, which leads directly to the most important church facade of the early baroque, Santa Susanna by Carlo Maderno. In the 17th century, the baroque style spread through Europe and Latin America, where it was particularly promoted by the Jesuits.

Michelangelo's, St. Peter's Basilica, Rome

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Basic Characteristics of Baroque Architecture:

-Broad naves occasionally circular forms dramatic use of light, either strong light-and-shade contrasts, chiaroscuro effects (e.g. church of Weltenburg Abbey), or uniform lighting by means of several windows (e.g. church of Weingarten Abbey)

-Opulent use of ornaments (puttos made of wood (often gilded), plaster or stucco, marble or faux marbling)

-Large scale ceiling frescos

-The external facade is often characterized by a dramatic central projection

-The interior is often no more than a shell for painting and sculpture (especially in the late baroque)

-Illusory effects like trompe l'oeil and the blending of painting and architecture

-In the Bavarian, Czech, Polish and Ukrainian baroque, pear domes are ubiquitous

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Central European Baroque

In Central Europe, the baroque period began somewhat later. Although the Augsburg architect Elias Holl (1573-1646) and some theoretists, including Joseph Furttenbach the Elder already practised the baroque style, they remained without successors due to the ravages of the Thirty Years War. From about 1650 on, construction work resumes, and secular and ecclesiastical architecture are of equal importance. During an initial phase, master-masons from southern Switzerland and northern Italy, the so-called magistri Grigioni and the Lombard master-masons, particularly the Carlone family from Val d'Intelvi, dominated the field. However, Austria came soon to develop its own characteristic baroque style during the last third of the seventeenth century. Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach was impressed by Bernini. He forged a new Imperial style by compiling architectural motifs from the entire history, most prominently seen in his church of St. Charles Borromeo in Vienna. Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt also had an Italian training. He developed a highly decorative style, particularly in facade architecture, which exerted strong influences on southern Germany.

Frequently, the Southern German baroque is distinguished from the Northern German baroque, which is more properly the distinction between the Catholic and the Protestant baroque.

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Bohemian Baroque

Central European Baroque specifically in the Catholic South received influences from other sources other than Italy, e.g., the so-called radical baroque of Bohemia. The radical baroque of Christoph Dientzenhofer (the architect of St. Nicolas) and his son Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer, both residing at Prague, was inspired by examples from northern Italy, particularly by the works of Guarino Guarini. The style is characterized by the curvature of walls and intersection of oval spaces. While some Bohemian influence is visible in Bavaria's most prominent architect of the period, Johann Michael Fischer, e.g., in the curved balconies of some of his earlier wall-pillar churches, the works of Balthasar Neumann are generally considered to be the final synthesis of Bohemian and German traditions.

St. Nicholas, Prague (Christoph Dientzenhofer)

Kryštof Dientzenhofer (also written as Christoph Dientzenhofer, July 7, 1655-June 10, 1722) - prominent architect of Bohemian Baroque. Among his works are the Church of St. Nicholas (1703-11, later completed by his son) and the Brevnov Monastery (1708-21) in Prague, church of St. Klara in Cheb(1708 - 11). Some of his works are difficult to identificate, due to the lack of documentation. He was a father of another Baroque architect, Kilián Ignác Dientzenhofer .

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Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth Baroque

St. Peter and St. Paul, Krakow, Poland

The first baroque church in Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was the Corpus Christi Church in Niasvizh, Belarus (1587). It also holds a distinction of being the first domed basilica with Baroque facade in the world and the first baroque piece of art in Eastern Europe.
In the early 17th century, the Baroque style spread over the Commonwealth. Important baroque churches include the Waza Chapel in the Wawel Cathedral, the SS. Peter and Paul, St. Anna and the Wizytek church in Kraków

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Kingdom of Hungary Baroque

Buda Castle

In the Kingdom of Hungary the first great Baroque building was the Jesuit Church of Nagyszombat built by Pietro Spozzo in 1629-37 modelling the Church of the Gesu in Rome. Jesuits were the main propagators of the new style with their churches in Gyor (1634-1641), Kassa (1671-1684), Eger(1731-1733) and Székesfehérvár (1745-1751). The reconstruction of the territories devastated by the Ottomans was carried out in Baroque style in 18th century. Intact Baroque townscapes can be found in Gyor, Székesfehérvár, Eger, Veszprém and the Castle District of Buda. The most important Baroque palaces in Hungary were the Royal Palace in Buda, Grassalkovich Castle in Gödöllo and Esterházy Castle in Fertod. Smaller Baroque castles of the Hungarian aristocracy are scattered all over the country.

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