Usually, speaking about the art of XVII century, noted two basic styles - baroque and classicism, and the third, vnestilevoe realistic direction.

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All these stylistic direction existed simultaneously, and sometimes joining in a monument that is not always possible to talk about the purity of style in a particular product.

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Rome is home to the Baroque, and the most striking examples of this style of architecture were created in Italy, Spain, Portugal, southern Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland, Lithuania, the Spanish and Portuguese colonies in Latin America. In all these countries, the Catholic Church has had a very great influence and, thus, became the Baroque style, which she has adopted.

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The beginning of a new style of building is usually considered a small church of the Jesuits - Il Gesu in Rome, begun in 1568, designed by Giacomo Vignola.

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The process of birth of a new style can be seen in a small area overlooking the main façade in 1575, designed by Giacomo della Porta: columns and pilasters are shifted to each other are grouped in pairs, broken entablature, the surface of the facade is overloaded by strong rhythmic elements.

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The most celebrated masters of the Baroque in Italy were Lorenzo Bernini, who created a magnificent ensemble of St. Peter's Square in Rome and other buildings, including a number of sculptures and fountains, and Francesco Borromini, for projects which were built the church of San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane, the Church of St Ivo alla Sapienza in Rome, etc.

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The architecture of the Baroque violated mass balance and space, harmony and carried by the structural parts, calm rhythm dimensional characteristic of Renaissance architecture. The mass of the building come alive, start moving, architectural forms begin to crowd each other, break boundaries of clear geometric shapes, the solid material into a malleable mass, create intricate decorative details of light and shadow. Plans Baroque buildings are complex conjugate shape of ovals and other irregular shapes. Both external and internal space is included in this violent struggle. Baroque facades of buildings, bizarre twists involve in its rapid movement surrounding streets and squares. Baroque architecture - the architecture of large-scale urban and suburban ensembles, gave a powerful impetus to further development of urban planning.

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In France, created one of the most wonderful baroque palaces - Versailles (1668-1689), which became a model for luxury town residences of European monarchs, including Russian.

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The Palace, designed by architect Louis Left and Hardouin Mansart combines classical clarity and rigor of volumes with the organization of baroque interior Mirror main gallery, the framework of which illusion is enhanced by the mirrors and paintings. The abundance of gilding, painting and sculpture in the interior in the future will become the favorite method of Baroque architecture. In plafond painting images of the sky with angels and clouds in the future transferred so precisely that it is difficult to determine where the boundary of the real space, and where begins the illusion of reality.

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To create the huge Baroque characteristic ensembles in which architecture, painting, sculpture, theater, music, arts and crafts and garden art blend into one, marked solemnity, pomp, splendor.

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In the XVIII century baroque take root in Russia. New manners court and the new Russian nobility who since Peter I strongly put in practice in Russia, and demanded the European type of palaces, where you can arrange luxury balls, receptions, provide rich dinners. Peter I gravitated to the Protestant Dutch architectural restraint, but his daughter, Elizabeth, is inclined to forms lush Italian Baroque. During her reign (1741-1761) created the best examples of Russian Baroque style, which contrasted with the Italian worldly joy and lack of religious mysticism, and from the German or Austrian - accentuated by the size and scale of the monumental architectural ensembles.

The most prominent architect was Russian Baroque Bartolomeo Francesco Rastrelli. His ancestors came from Florence, his father - a sculptor and architect Bartolomeo Carlo, arrived in St. Petersburg under Peter. Only Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli was able to build a palace for Elizabeth in Tsarskoye Selo, to suit its needs and taste. The facade of the palace so much divided rhythmically powerful "impact" white columns, released on a blue background that about any monotony out of the question. Only closer inspection, one can see a chorus of columns and pilasters traditional trehrizalitnoe building the palace building.

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The interior spaces are located on three floors, which also corresponds to the scheme adopted: the lower, low floor is office space on the second - highest - the suite of state rooms and apartments, and the third - the living rooms of the royal family.

The main hall of the palace - Grand Gallery (17 m wide, 47 m long, 7 m in height with a total area of ​​800 sq. m.) Without any internal support. In addition to these windows, there still is false - mirrors, artificially extending the vast interior space. Patterns mosaic parquet, wooden gilded carving, painting the ceiling - everything in this room is striking elegance, outstanding genius of the master's hand. All the rooms in the palace are different, there are Chinese, and crimson, and the famous Amber Room - wonder of the world, a gift to Peter I in 1716, the King of Prussia.

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Of other buildings Rastrelli not to mention the famous Winter Palace with a magnificent grand staircase, where the architect used the same effects as fake windows - mirrors for visual expansion of space, and the Smolny Cathedral in St. Petersburg. Rastrelli style unmistakable. Even in small buildings such as the Cathedral of the Smolny Convent, he managed to create a bright, cheerful, elated, live play of light and color, the solemn rhythm of forms, elegant silhouette of the five-headed conclusion.

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In different countries, Baroque manifested in different ways, but its inherent characteristics and formal can be found everywhere. This complex curvilinear plans thickened column, replacing the flat pilasters of the Renaissance, ripped entablature, rhythmic variety and richness, powerful plastic walls, rapid movement, the struggle of the masses and space involvement and outer space, creating a synthesis of art, united by a common aim and style creation of majestic architectural ensembles in the cities and palaces and parks - in a country residence, an abundance of gold, wood and stone carvings, magnificent sculptures and decorative details, rich play of colors and light. It is a style based on the use of classical architectural order forms provided in a state of dynamic tension, sometimes reaching up to convulsions.