Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza will be open free of charge on weekday mornings, from 27 October.The Roman church of Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza, a masterpiece of Baroque architecture designed by Francesco Borromini, will reopen to the public on 27 October after many years of closure.The magnificent church stands within the Sant’Ivo alla Sapienza complex, which now houses the state archive of Rome, and is one of Borromini’s most celebrated works. The former seat of the Sapienza university is located on Corso del Rinascimento 40, in the historic heart of the city, near the Italian senate. In recent years Rome's special superintendence oversaw the restoration of the complex which was designed by Borromini between 1643 and 1660 for La Sapienza. How to visit Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza can be visited for free - from 27 October - Monday to Friday, 09.30 to 13.30.   The reopening is the result of a collaboration between the state archive, the Diocese of Rome and the Touring Club Italiano (TCI).   Volunteers from the TCI’s Aperti per voi project will keep the church open on a continuous basis, welcome visitors and guide them around the church and courtyard. Borromini's design Borromini based his unique geometrical design around the cramped 16th-century cortile, or courtyard, designed by Giacomo della Porta.   He employing concave and convex surfaces in his designs which also feature decorative elements linked to the three popes under which the building was constructed.   These included the bees of Urban VIII Barberini, the dove of Innocent X Pamphili and the stars of Alexander VII Chigi.   Sant’Ivo is known for its six-pointed star-shaped plan and the spiral lantern crowning its dome, as well as an interior of sweeping curves and counter-curves. Who was Francesco Borromini? Born in 1599, Borromini was an Italian-Swiss architect whose legacy in Rome continues to fascinate three and half centuries after his death in 1667.   Borromini's name is linked forever with his contemporary and great rival Bernini, with many historians agreeing that this fierce rivalry pushed both architects to the limits of their genius. Although their styles differed - Borromini was more innovative and modest than the triumphant Bernini - between them they paved the way for Roman Baroque architecture.   A depressed figure with a volatile temper, Borromini died by suicide in Rome aged 67. He is buried in the church of San Giovanni dei Fiorentini on Via Acciaoli.

The Roman church of Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza, a masterpiece of Baroque architecture designed by Francesco Borromini, will reopen to the public on 27 October after many years of closure. The magnificent church stands within the Sant’Ivo alla Sapienza complex, which now houses the state archive of Rome, and is one of Borromini’s most celebrated works. The former seat of the Sapienza university is located on Corso del Rinascimento 40, in the historic heart of the city, near the Italian senate. In recent years Rome's special superintendence oversaw the restoration of the complex which was designed by Borromini between 1643 and 1660 for La Sapienza.