saint ivo della sapienza is borromini's masterpiece.is architecture is intellectually complex, a startling amalgam of mathematics and fantasy. he knew the history of architecture d drew upon the past boldly and freely. the facade curves in, but the dome above it curves out, presenting the beholder with a dramatic contrast. using a symmetry so odd that it seems almost asymmetrical, he opposes convex and concave arcs. the result is that the building itself seems to be alive and pulsating. borromini's work emphasized one of the central teachings of the roman catholic church in the 17th century. salvation could not be attained by reason alone, nor by simple sensual experience. it required an imaginative leap of faith. in bewildering the eye and challenging the mind, borromini sought to plunge the worshiper into the mystery of salvation. not everyone understood. a contemporary critic wrote, "everyone gets in his head a new idea "and displays it in public squares and upon facades, madly deforming buildings and even towns." but an official of

saint ivo della sapienza is borromini's masterpiece.tecture is intellectually complex, a startling amalgam of mathematics and fantasy. he knew the history of architecture d drew upon the past boldly and freely. the facade curves in, but the dome above it curves out, presenting the beholder with a dramatic contrast. using a symmetry so odd that it seems almost asymmetrical, he opposes convex and concave arcs. the result is that the building itself seems to be alive and pulsating. borromini's work emphasized one of the central teachings of the roman catholic church in the 17th century. salvation could not be attained by reason alone, nor by simple sensual experience. it required an imaginative leap of faith. in bewildering the eye and challenging the mind, borromini sought to plunge the worshiper into the mystery of salvation. not everyone understood. a contemporary critic wrote, "everyone gets in his head a new idea "and displays it in public squares and upon facades, madly deforming buildings and even towns." but an official of borromin