Our film was a dramatized documentary about the lives of Caravaggio and Bernini, two of the most celebrated artists of the late renaissance in Rome, both of whom had lives which matched in turbulence the intensity and genius of their work. In Caravaggio’s case jealousy of a rival artist led to a fatal duel which sent Caravaggio on the run through Naples, Sicily and Malta leaving a trail of masterpieces behind him. Believing that the Pope had issued a pardon he began the return journey to Rome when, stranded in a port on the Italian coast, he was killed by an over-zealous civil guard.
Bernini was a child prodigy who became a protégé of Cardinal Scipione Borghese. His enormous talents as
a sculptor and architect were much sought after in Baroque Rome, with the colonnades which now define the huge space of St. Peter’s Square and many sculptures including Apollo and Daphne and David. His career suffered temporarily when he instigated a plot to take revenge on his brother who was having an affair with his own mistress, which caused serious injury to both of the culprits. His architectural reputation was also damaged by his addition of belfries to the west façade of St. Peter’s when it became evident that the ground conditions would not support the weight of the structures and they collapsed. However after a few years he recovered and went on to produce some of his greatest works including the fountains in the Piazza Navona.