Piazza del Popolo te Rome 1729

Jacobus Baptist created this engraving of the Piazza del Popolo in Rome around the turn of the 18th century. Dominating the skyline are the domes of the twin churches, Santa Maria dei Miracoli and Santa Maria in Montesanto. The dome, an architectural symbol, speaks of heaven and the divine. We see the dome motif recurring throughout history, from the Pantheon in ancient Rome to the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. As Christianity rose, it was adapted to symbolize the all-encompassing nature of God and the Church’s universal reach. This appropriation and transformation of symbols reveals how cultural memory operates; a continuous process of reinterpretation and adaptation, shaping our understanding of the world. Here, the domes evoke feelings of awe and reverence, connecting the viewer to a lineage of spiritual aspiration. These architectural forms touch something primal within us, stirring a sense of wonder and perhaps even a longing for the eternal. This illustrates the cyclical journey of symbols, their adaptation, and continual rebirth across time.