Exterior view

The university church of Sant’Ivo alla Sapienza is hardly the product of a single architect. Work on this structure took almost two decades and involved the decisions and revisions of three successive popes. By 1632 Bernini had proposed Borromini, his assistant at the time, as the architect for the university. In 1642 Borromini received the commission for the related church.

The picture shows the lantern. After the completion of the cupola the work came to a halt and continued only after 1652. The lantern and the spiral tower were added later.