Which Baroque architect designed the Church of Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza in Rome?

Francesco Borromini designed the Church of Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza in Rome.

Built between 1642 and 1660, Sant'Ivo was commissioned for the Archiginnasio della Sapienza, the University of Rome's historic complex. Borromini had to fit the church into a courtyard largely shaped by Giacomo della Porta, so the building's unusual geometry was partly a brilliant response to a confined site.

The centralized plan combines triangles, curves, and clipped corners to create a six-pointed star-like interior. Above it rises a dome and one of Borromini's most recognizable features: a corkscrew-shaped lantern. The design is often associated with wisdom and the university's intellectual setting.

A common mix-up is confusing Borromini with Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The two were major Roman Baroque rivals, but Bernini did not design Sant'Ivo. Borromini's preference for restless geometry and spatial experimentation makes this church one of his defining works.