San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane
Borromeo's shrine
Borromeo's shrine
The Church of St. Charles at the Four Fountains is also known as San Carlino. It was the first independent commission of the architect, Francesco Borromini, and set on the Quirinal Hill. It was dedicated to the holy founders of the Trinitarians, who worked for the ransoming of Christian slaves, and for St. Charles Borromeo, the noted ecclesial reformer and Cardinal-Archbishop of Milan during the Reformation era. This structure is a prime example of Roman Baroque, The stark white church interior, a union of two equilateral triangles, is surmounted by an oval dome made of octagonal coffers, lighted by concealed windows, and rises towards a depiction of the Holy Spirit as a dove.