An Elephant in Rome

In 1655, a new Pope, Alexander VII, fired with religious zeal, political guile and a mania for building, determined to restore the prestige of his church by making Rome the must-visit destination for Europe’s elite. To help him do so, he enlisted the talents of Gian Lorenzo Bernini, already celebrated as the most important artist of the age.

Author and broadcaster Loyd Grossman explores the work of one of the greatest artistic double acts in history, who not only created Baroque Rome but invented the concept of soft power and bucket list destination along the way.

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