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The same cardinal Chigi who
commissioned the completion of the family chapel,
erected on the designs of Raphael shortly after being
elected Pope, also gave the work of restoring of the
entire church of Santa Maria del Popolo to Bernini.
The statue of the young Daniel praying wrapped in
drapery and marked by a violent twist and certainly
inspired by examples of ancient sculpture was added to
the statues of Elijah and Jonah.
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The exceptional expressive liveliness of
the Abacuc and the Angel; already given to Algardi and
located on the right of the altar in November 1661; is
caught at the border of the niche in a gesture of
impertinence of the heavenly messenger who is tugging a lock
of the prophet's hair. Bernini's hand can be seen in the
singular model of the hanging Lamp with a pair of flying
cherubs, and in the design of the large torch holders. |
The series of eight pairs of Saints and
Martyrs to the sides of the windows of the nave, the marble
Angels on the altars in the transept and the scenic design
of the monumental Organ decorated with the heraldic oak of
the Chigi's however, belong to his students. The whole
completing the extraordinary work by Bernini in the church |
