WEBVTT

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- Hi, I'm Rick Steves,

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back with more of
the best of Europe.

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This time, rather than
a particular place,

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we are going thematic

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and traveling anywhere
that theme takes us.

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This time, it's the
art of the Baroque age.

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You know, divine kings,
pudgy-winged babies,

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and fancy fountains.

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Thanks for joining us.

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(light uptempo music)

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There's so much of Baroque
Europe's art to be dazzled by,

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and understanding
who paid for it

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and why makes it even splashier.

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While the Renaissance was calm,
composed, and intellectual,

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in this next stage, artists
cranked up the drama,

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the emotions, and the
energy in their art.

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We'll start with the
religious struggles

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that divided Europe,

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leading to both
exuberant Catholic art

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designed to attract the faithful

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and dramatic secular art
that made pulse's race.

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We'll see how Bernini
brought marble to life

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and how Caravaggio
amped up the excitement.

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France, with its divine right
kings, emerged as the center

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of European culture.

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And at the palace of
palaces, Versailles,

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kings did their best to
prove they were godlike.

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And as the controlled
exuberance of Baroque led

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to the uncontrolled
exuberance of Rococo,

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all the queen could say was,
"I just love this new dress."

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(light orchestral music)

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From Baroque's
birthplace in Rome,

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we follow it spread
far and wide,

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venturing from
Vienna and Germany

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to Belgium and France

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with Paris, Versailles
and chateaus on the Loire.

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The roots of Baroque
go back to the 1500s

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to the turmoil of the
Protestant Reformation.

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People were questioning Europe's
most powerful institution,

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the Roman Catholic Church.

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This was big news,

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and art, the media of
the day, told the story.

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When a German monk named Martin
Luther hammered 95 points

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for debate on this door,

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he opened a Pandora's
box of issues

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from church corruption

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to the role of art in religion,

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to the legitimacy of the Pope,

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unleashing long
pent-up frustrations.

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Soon, the protestors, called
Protestants, were breaking away

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from the traditional
Catholic church.

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This religious revolution,
called the Reformation,

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plunged Europe into a
century-long series of wars.

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Each side expressed its intense
passion through its art.

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Here a Catholic nun wails on
a bunch of sinful Protestants

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while a determined cherub rips
pages from a Protestant book,

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and an angel wrestles with
the serpent of heresy.

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Artists captured the
misery and the epic scale.

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As religious wars spread,

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nearly a third of
all Germans died.

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War crimes became commonplace
with each side convinced

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that God was on their side

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and that they were
fighting the devil himself.

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Paintings show how most
of Europe was at war,

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swept up by powerful forces

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as if the fighting
might go on forever.

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After decades of war in 1648,

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an exhausted Europe
reached an uneasy peace

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that enabled Protestants
and Catholics to coexist,

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but it left Europe
split into two camps.

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Protestants, mainly in
the northern countries,

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Catholics in the south.

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Each with its own
culture and style of art.

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The art of the day was Baroque

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and it fit Catholic
lands perfectly.

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(uptempo orchestral music)
The Baroque style,

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with its bright colors,

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big canvases,

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dramatic statues,

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exuberant architecture,

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and over-the-top ornamentation
appealed to the emotions.

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Put it all together,

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as Baroque artists love to do,

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and the ensemble packed
a powerful message.

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After all this turmoil, Catholic
Europe craved stability,

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and the Baroque message
was pro status quo.

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Obey the Pope and
the established order

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and things will be okay.

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It's no wonder Baroque
was the favorite style

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of Catholic rulers.

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The Baroque style
flourished in Rome,

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especially at the Vatican,

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the headquarters of
the Catholic faith.

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Art became a tool of the church.

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To help reinvigorate the faith

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and counter the
Protestant Reformation.

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churches were made
more welcoming

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with bright, spacious
interiors and dazzling art.

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Art that made complicated
theology easier to understand.

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The Grand Church of St.
Peter's was decorated

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in the Baroque style
to make a statement,

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The message?

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To proclaim the legitimacy
of the Roman Catholic faith

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as the one true faith,

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and the Pope as its leader.

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The altar radiates
these Catholic ideals,

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with sunlight pouring
like the Holy Spirit

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through its alabaster window,

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illuminating the symbolic
throne of the first Pope,

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St. Peter, and all
the Popes since.

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With its sheer
size, 600 feet long,

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big enough for
thousands of worshipers,

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colossal cupids and
massive Baroque canopy,

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St. Peter's has given
centuries of pilgrims

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and worshipers a glimpse of
the heaven that awaited them

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if they stayed
true to the faith.

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The art and architecture

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of this age was also a
powerful political tool.

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The kings and queens of the
day claimed they were ordained

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by God to rule without question.

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These so-called divine
monarchs used art as propaganda

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to convince their subjects
that their authority was legit.

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This magnificent German
palace in Wurzburg was home

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to the so-called Prince Bishop.

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He was a ruler with both
secular and religious power.

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It was built in
the Baroque style

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and decorated in the even
frillier Rococo style

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that followed.

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As VIP guests arrived,

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they'd glide gracefully
up the stairway,

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inspired by a grand fresco
as it opened up overhead.

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The Prince Bishop was
the center of the cosmos,

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honored by the Greek gods

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and ruler of the four
great continents,

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including a bare-chested figure

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of America seated
on an alligator

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at a rowdy cannibal barbecue.

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And Lady Europe points her brush

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to the center of all culture,

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the capital of his
realm, Wurzburg.

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(light orchestral music)

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Palaces of this age feature
grandiose architecture

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with decoration that
abhors a straight line

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and is full of motion.

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Artists used mirrors
and lavish gilding

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to enliven interiors.

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They were masters

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of three-dimensional illusion,
using all the tricks,

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from painting mathematically
correct architecture,

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to fake shadows, all to
give a believable sense

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of 3D reality.

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Again, art of this period
was pure marketing,

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paid for and serving either
the church or the state.

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Or in the Prince
Bishop's case, both.

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Here, the bishop is
being empowered by
the imperial scepter,

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reminding all that he was
part of a divinely ordained

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and secular chain of command.

07:59.700 --> 08:02.200 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80%
Big, colorful and melodramatic,

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Baroque art was also well-suited

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to the luxury-loving
tastes of aristocrats.

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Though they were
devoted Christians,

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they also considered
themselves enlightened

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and celebrated the classical

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or pre-Christian world of
ancient Greece and Rome.

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So besides religious themes,

08:18.800 --> 08:21.166 align:left position:15% line:89% size:75%
they enjoyed secular scenes,

08:21.166 --> 08:24.166 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5%
like epic tales of
classical mythology.

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Baroque art could be
surprisingly risque.

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There's lots of flesh,

08:31.033 --> 08:33.000 align:left position:12.5% line:89% size:77.5%
violence and rippling motion,

08:33.800 --> 08:37.666 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80%
intense passion, lots of trauma,

08:37.666 --> 08:41.800 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75%
and a sure sign of Baroque,
pudgy-winged babies.

08:44.666 --> 08:47.966 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5%
A great pioneer of Baroque
was the dynamic Italian

08:47.966 --> 08:50.933 align:left position:15% line:89% size:75%
named Gian Lorenzo Bernini.

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Known as the
Michelangelo of Baroque,

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Bernini could do it all.

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He was a great
sculptor, a painter,

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and a groundbreaking architect.

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He designed St. Peter's Square.

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Using all his artistic tools.

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Bernini turns this
chapel into a theater

09:10.400 --> 09:13.300 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60%
and invigorates
reality with emotion.

09:13.300 --> 09:16.733 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70%
Center stage, an angel
pierces St. Theresa's heart

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with a heavenly arrow.

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As the saint
described her ecstasy,

09:20.866 --> 09:23.866 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70%
"The pain was so sharp,
that I cried aloud,

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yet so delightful

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that I wished it
would last forever."

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At this elegant Roman mansion,

09:31.766 --> 09:35.200 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70%
Bernini sculpted several
masterpieces for his patron,

09:35.200 --> 09:38.000 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5%
a wealthy cardinal who
invested in great art

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meant to decorate
these very rooms.

09:41.200 --> 09:44.300 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65%
Bernini, employing
both genius and chisel,

09:44.300 --> 09:46.600 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5%
masterfully brought
marble to life.

09:48.000 --> 09:51.800 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70%
His Rape of Persephone
packs a dramatic punch.

09:53.433 --> 09:56.900 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70%
Persephone's entire body
seems to scream for help

09:56.900 --> 10:01.400 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5%
as evil Pluto drags his
catch into the underworld.

10:01.400 --> 10:04.233 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70%
(light orchestral music)

10:04.233 --> 10:07.666 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65%
His three-headed dog
howls triumphantly,

10:10.200 --> 10:14.133 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75%
Bernini's Apollo and Daphne
is quintessential Baroque

10:14.133 --> 10:17.333 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5%
in how it captures
a dramatic moment.

10:17.333 --> 10:21.433 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75%
Apollo, happily wounded by
Cupid's arrow, chases Daphne,

10:21.433 --> 10:24.666 align:left position:32.5% line:83% size:57.5%
who's saved by
turning into a tree.

10:24.666 --> 10:26.366 align:left position:15% line:89% size:75%
Bernini captures the instant

10:26.366 --> 10:29.600 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65%
when just as Apollo's
about to catch Daphne,

10:29.600 --> 10:31.633 align:left position:15% line:89% size:75%
her fingers turn to leaves,

10:34.633 --> 10:37.066 align:left position:22.5% line:89% size:67.5%
her toes sprout roots,

10:37.066 --> 10:41.333 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65%
and Apollo is in for
one rude surprise.

10:41.333 --> 10:44.100 align:left position:32.5% line:83% size:57.5%
The statue, as
much air as stone,

10:44.100 --> 10:47.700 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65%
makes a supernatural
event seem real.

10:47.700 --> 10:50.866 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5%
This pre-Christian scene,
while plenty fleshy,

10:50.866 --> 10:53.733 align:left position:35% line:83% size:55%
comes with a
church-pleasing moral.

10:53.733 --> 10:56.833 align:left position:32.5% line:83% size:57.5%
Chasing earthly
pleasures leads only

10:56.833 --> 10:58.900 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70%
to pain and frustration.

11:01.033 --> 11:03.366 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60%
By the way, to
appreciate the boldness

11:03.366 --> 11:05.166 align:left position:15% line:89% size:75%
of Bernini's Baroque style,

11:05.166 --> 11:07.100 align:left position:15% line:89% size:75%
compare his version of David

11:07.100 --> 11:09.533 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5%
with Michelangelo's
Renaissance David

11:09.533 --> 11:11.633 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70%
from a century earlier.

11:11.633 --> 11:15.600 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5%
Michelangelo's is poised,
balanced and thoughtful,

11:15.600 --> 11:19.133 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70%
perfect for the cerebral
Renaissance era.

11:19.133 --> 11:22.566 align:left position:12.5% line:83% size:77.5%
Bernini's, on the other hand,
is a Baroque action figure.

11:22.566 --> 11:24.533 align:left position:32.5% line:83% size:57.5%
His whole body
wound like a spring

11:24.533 --> 11:26.566 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5%
as he prepares to
slay the giant,

11:26.566 --> 11:29.233 align:left position:12.5% line:89% size:77.5%
showing the energy of the age.

11:30.666 --> 11:34.866 align:left position:12.5% line:83% size:77.5%
Bernini was a brash young man
of 25 when he sculpted this,

11:34.866 --> 11:38.233 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70%
and the determined face
of David is his own.

11:39.833 --> 11:42.566 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65%
Bernini inspired a
generation of artists

11:42.566 --> 11:44.566 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5%
whose work is found
throughout Rome.

11:45.933 --> 11:47.466 align:left position:37.5% line:89% size:52.5%
In fact,

11:47.466 --> 11:50.000 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75%
the city of Rome itself is
like a Baroque work of art.

11:51.566 --> 11:53.566 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80%
Its great churches sport facades

11:53.566 --> 11:56.000 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5%
with trendsetting
Baroque elements.

11:56.000 --> 11:59.000 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65%
Classical columns on
a gargantuan scale,

11:59.000 --> 12:00.800 align:left position:17.5% line:89% size:72.5%
showy pediments and arches

12:00.800 --> 12:03.833 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65%
and straight lines
broken by dips, curls

12:03.833 --> 12:05.900 align:left position:17.5% line:89% size:72.5%
and decorative medallions.

12:07.233 --> 12:10.300 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70%
Interiors, of course, are
also decorated to the hilt

12:10.300 --> 12:11.833 align:left position:22.5% line:89% size:67.5%
in the Baroque style.

12:12.666 --> 12:14.433 align:left position:12.5% line:89% size:77.5%
You hardly know where to look.

12:14.433 --> 12:17.400 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70%
Every inch is slathered
with ornamentation.

12:18.533 --> 12:21.066 align:left position:32.5% line:83% size:57.5%
Oh, wow, spiral
columns framing scenes

12:21.066 --> 12:23.666 align:left position:17.5% line:89% size:72.5%
that almost jump to life.

12:23.666 --> 12:25.666 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70%
Cupids doing flip flops.

12:26.700 --> 12:29.766 align:left position:15% line:89% size:75%
Explosive, gilded starbursts

12:29.766 --> 12:33.000 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65%
and ceilings opening
up into the heavens.

12:33.000 --> 12:36.100 align:left position:17.5% line:89% size:72.5%
It's all glorious Baroque.

12:36.100 --> 12:39.833 align:left position:27.5% line:89% size:62.5%
(orchestral music)

12:39.833 --> 12:40.766 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70%
(light orchestral music)

12:40.766 --> 12:42.833 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80%
The exuberance of the Barque age

12:42.833 --> 12:45.800 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60%
even spills out
into the streets.

12:45.800 --> 12:49.666 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5%
Piazza Navona, a festival
of Roman life, is dominated

12:49.666 --> 12:51.733 align:left position:17.5% line:89% size:72.5%
by this curvaceous facade.

12:53.000 --> 12:55.766 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5%
Its playful oval domes
overlook a fountain

12:55.766 --> 12:58.733 align:left position:15% line:89% size:75%
by, you guessed it, Bernini.

12:58.733 --> 13:00.666 align:left position:15% line:89% size:75%
Fountains, so full of energy

13:00.666 --> 13:03.833 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5%
and effectively harnessing
nature, were a favorite

13:03.833 --> 13:05.400 align:left position:22.5% line:89% size:67.5%
with Baroque artists.

13:06.566 --> 13:08.066 align:left position:40% line:89% size:50%
Nearby,

13:08.066 --> 13:10.466 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75%
the famed Trevi Fountain is
a bubbly Baroque avalanche

13:10.466 --> 13:14.733 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75%
that seems purpose built for
today's Roman embrace of life.

13:15.633 --> 13:17.200 align:left position:17.5% line:89% size:72.5%
Immersed in history, art,

13:17.200 --> 13:19.300 align:left position:12.5% line:89% size:77.5%
and partying under the stars,

13:19.300 --> 13:21.500 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5%
people toss a coin
over their shoulder

13:21.500 --> 13:24.866 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5%
to assure their return
to this eternal city.

13:26.400 --> 13:27.833 align:left position:22.5% line:89% size:67.5%
That may sound silly.

13:27.833 --> 13:29.166 align:left position:22.5% line:89% size:67.5%
But with every visit,

13:29.166 --> 13:30.533 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70%
I go through the ritual,

13:30.533 --> 13:33.300 align:left position:32.5% line:89% size:57.5%
and it works.

13:39.900 --> 13:42.200 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65%
Also in Rome, around
the year 1600,

13:42.200 --> 13:45.866 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70%
a rebellious young artist
named Caravaggio was inspiring

13:45.866 --> 13:49.233 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75%
a new generation of artists
with his stark realism.

13:49.233 --> 13:50.933 align:left position:15% line:89% size:75%
He lived hard and spent much

13:50.933 --> 13:53.500 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5%
of his life running
from the law.

13:53.500 --> 13:57.666 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80%
While he died young, Caravaggio
was hugely influential.

13:57.666 --> 14:01.100 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80%
With stark lighting, Caravaggio
created a film noir world

14:01.100 --> 14:03.533 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80%
of harsh glare and deep shadows,

14:03.533 --> 14:06.966 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70%
throwing an unflattering
light on his subjects.

14:06.966 --> 14:09.333 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70%
(light orchestral music)

14:09.333 --> 14:13.400 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75%
Even his sacred scenes look
like rugged Roman street life

14:13.400 --> 14:15.200 align:left position:22.5% line:89% size:67.5%
with a gritty realism.

14:17.366 --> 14:20.000 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60%
Saints with bald,
wrinkled foreheads,

14:21.733 --> 14:23.000 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60%
tattered coats,

14:24.533 --> 14:25.500 align:left position:35% line:89% size:55%
dirty feet,

14:27.400 --> 14:29.866 align:left position:12.5% line:89% size:77.5%
ordinary plain Jane Madonnas,

14:33.766 --> 14:36.600 align:left position:22.5% line:89% size:67.5%
and a restless energy.

14:36.600 --> 14:40.933 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5%
(light orchestral
music continues)

14:45.133 --> 14:46.333 align:left position:27.5% line:89% size:62.5%
(light piano music)

14:46.333 --> 14:48.500 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5%
Caravaggio's David
Slaying the Giant

14:48.500 --> 14:50.833 align:left position:12.5% line:89% size:77.5%
is no noble Renaissance hero,

14:50.833 --> 14:52.433 align:left position:22.5% line:89% size:67.5%
but a sassy teenager.

14:53.433 --> 14:56.066 align:left position:32.5% line:83% size:57.5%
The lighting is
stark and dramatic,

14:56.066 --> 14:58.366 align:left position:12.5% line:89% size:77.5%
and the details are gruesome.

14:59.933 --> 15:03.633 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5%
David literally shoves the
harsh reality in our face.

15:03.633 --> 15:08.533 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75%
And Goliath's head, it's none
other than Caravaggio himself.

15:11.100 --> 15:14.033 align:left position:12.5% line:83% size:77.5%
In the same generation farther
north, here in Belgium,

15:14.033 --> 15:15.466 align:left position:27.5% line:89% size:62.5%
the most prolific

15:15.466 --> 15:18.566 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5%
and influential Baroque
painter was Peter Paul Rubens.

15:18.566 --> 15:20.133 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80%
A favorite of Europe's wealthy,

15:20.133 --> 15:22.233 align:left position:32.5% line:83% size:57.5%
Rubens painted
extravagant scenes

15:22.233 --> 15:26.633 align:left position:12.5% line:83% size:77.5%
with a dynamism that has come
to define the Baroque style.

15:26.633 --> 15:29.066 align:left position:32.5% line:83% size:57.5%
Well-traveled,
cultured, and confident,

15:29.066 --> 15:32.800 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5%
Rubens exemplified the
exuberance of the age.

15:32.800 --> 15:34.833 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5%
Running his studio
like a factory,

15:34.833 --> 15:38.733 align:left position:12.5% line:83% size:77.5%
he cranked out a steady stream
of high-energy canvases.

15:39.900 --> 15:41.866 align:left position:12.5% line:89% size:77.5%
He'd start with a rough sketch

15:41.866 --> 15:44.133 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5%
and he'd give that to his
assistants in the studio

15:44.133 --> 15:46.900 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65%
and they would paint
the massive canvas.

15:46.900 --> 15:49.900 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75%
When it was just about done,
Rubens would come back in

15:49.900 --> 15:52.600 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75%
and give it what they called
the fury of the brush.

15:52.600 --> 15:54.033 align:left position:15% line:89% size:75%
A little twinkle in the eye,

15:54.033 --> 15:56.200 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70%
a little glimmer there,
a little light there.

15:56.200 --> 15:57.433 align:left position:22.5% line:89% size:67.5%
When he was satisfied,

15:57.433 --> 16:00.100 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5%
another Rubens masterpiece
was shipped off

16:00.100 --> 16:02.300 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70%
to his wealthy patrons.

16:02.300 --> 16:05.033 align:left position:22.5% line:89% size:67.5%
(uptempo piano music)

16:05.033 --> 16:08.433 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5%
Rubens painted anything
that would raise your pulse,

16:09.533 --> 16:10.500 align:left position:37.5% line:89% size:52.5%
battles,

16:11.466 --> 16:12.566 align:left position:37.5% line:89% size:52.5%
miracles,

16:15.066 --> 16:15.966 align:left position:42.5% line:89% size:47.5%
hunts,

16:17.033 --> 16:20.533 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5%
and especially fleshy
Rubenesque women

16:20.533 --> 16:23.266 align:left position:12.5% line:89% size:77.5%
with rosy cheeks and dimples.

16:25.433 --> 16:27.166 align:left position:22.5% line:89% size:67.5%
Expert at composition,

16:27.166 --> 16:30.500 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5%
Rubens could arrange a
teaming tangle of many figures

16:30.500 --> 16:32.733 align:left position:15% line:89% size:75%
into a harmonious ensemble.

16:34.333 --> 16:35.833 align:left position:27.5% line:89% size:62.5%
In this Greek myth,

16:35.833 --> 16:39.533 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5%
when lecherous half-human
satyrs crash a party of nymphs,

16:39.533 --> 16:44.233 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65%
the action unfolds as
satyrs chase and women flee.

16:44.233 --> 16:47.000 align:left position:32.5% line:83% size:57.5%
It's a horrible
crescendo of violence,

16:47.000 --> 16:50.400 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75%
a cresting wave of flailing
limbs and chaotic figures

16:50.400 --> 16:53.366 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70%
that threatens to crash
over the poor nymphs.

16:53.366 --> 16:56.533 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5%
Until the fierce goddess,
Diana, the huntress,

16:56.533 --> 17:00.633 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5%
plants her feet and makes a
brave stand to save the day.

17:02.100 --> 17:06.000 align:left position:12.5% line:83% size:77.5%
Baroque artists certainly knew
how to satisfy their patrons,

17:06.000 --> 17:09.000 align:left position:12.5% line:83% size:77.5%
whether powering the church's
message both in grand ways

17:09.000 --> 17:10.766 align:left position:27.5% line:89% size:62.5%
or intimate ways,

17:10.766 --> 17:13.900 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70%
making ancient myths and
legends come to life,

17:15.266 --> 17:17.500 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5%
inflating the egos
of the powerful

17:18.666 --> 17:21.700 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65%
or just capturing a
wild and crazy party.

17:21.700 --> 17:26.100 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5%
For Baroque artists, life
was always filled with drama.

17:26.866 --> 17:28.100 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70%
(light orchestral music)

17:28.100 --> 17:30.433 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60%
The Baroque style
dominated much of Europe

17:30.433 --> 17:32.400 align:left position:25% line:89% size:65%
throughout this age.

17:32.400 --> 17:33.633 align:left position:25% line:89% size:65%
Whether it was found

17:33.633 --> 17:35.566 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70%
in the highly ornamented
music of the day,

17:35.566 --> 17:39.200 align:left position:17.5% line:89% size:72.5%
(baroque orchestral music)

17:41.966 --> 17:43.800 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70%
its grandiose churches,

17:46.733 --> 17:48.400 align:left position:22.5% line:89% size:67.5%
over-the-top palaces,

17:50.500 --> 17:51.966 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60%
dramatic statues

17:53.466 --> 17:55.300 align:left position:22.5% line:89% size:67.5%
or bubbling fountains,

17:56.666 --> 18:00.533 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75%
Baroque art was designed to
have an emotional impact.

18:00.533 --> 18:01.933 align:left position:27.5% line:89% size:62.5%
And it still does.

18:01.933 --> 18:05.600 align:left position:17.5% line:89% size:72.5%
(baroque orchestral music)

18:11.700 --> 18:13.333 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80%
As Europe's nations grew bigger,

18:13.333 --> 18:16.266 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5%
many centralized around an
old, reliable institution,

18:16.266 --> 18:17.666 align:left position:32.5% line:89% size:57.5%
the monarchy.

18:17.666 --> 18:20.366 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75%
This was the era of Europe's
great kings and queens.

18:20.366 --> 18:23.233 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75%
They claimed their authority
came directly from God

18:23.233 --> 18:24.433 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60%
by divine right,

18:24.433 --> 18:27.633 align:left position:32.5% line:83% size:57.5%
and that their
power was absolute.

18:27.633 --> 18:29.766 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60%
Through the ages,
portraits had been one

18:29.766 --> 18:32.233 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5%
of the ways Royals
showed off their power

18:32.233 --> 18:34.666 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80%
and their divine right to rule.

18:34.666 --> 18:36.533 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80%
They hired Europe's best artists

18:36.533 --> 18:38.700 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60%
to paint them in
all their glory.

18:38.700 --> 18:40.866 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60%
From the powerful
Renaissance royals

18:40.866 --> 18:45.933 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75%
and rulers of France, Spain,
(light orchestral music)

18:47.033 --> 18:51.166 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5%
Venice to England,
(light orchestral music)

18:51.166 --> 18:54.966 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75%
Baroque artists captured the
over-the-top style of the age.

18:56.433 --> 19:00.133 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75%
By then, Europe was ruled by
a handful of powerful families

19:00.133 --> 19:02.800 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70%
who used such portraits
to stay in touch

19:02.800 --> 19:06.833 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70%
and like Baroque dating
apps, to arrange marriages.

19:06.833 --> 19:09.400 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65%
And court painters
pulled out all the stops,

19:09.400 --> 19:13.200 align:left position:12.5% line:83% size:77.5%
from making young princes look
impossibly good on a horse

19:13.200 --> 19:17.166 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70%
to making a mere mortal
look as divine as can be.

19:21.033 --> 19:22.700 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70%
(light orchestral music)
In the Baroque era,

19:22.700 --> 19:25.600 align:left position:32.5% line:83% size:57.5%
Europe's royals
ruled in splendor.

19:25.600 --> 19:28.733 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5%
Across the continent, they
built sprawling palaces

19:28.733 --> 19:32.100 align:left position:22.5% line:89% size:67.5%
from Austria and Spain

19:33.166 --> 19:37.333 align:left position:22.5% line:89% size:67.5%
to Sweden and France.

19:41.166 --> 19:43.633 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75%
France, for centuries, the
richest country in Europe, is

19:43.633 --> 19:47.133 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75%
strewn with lavish palaces,
chateaus and mansions.

19:47.133 --> 19:50.700 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80%
After all, until its revolution,
its society was the epitome

19:50.700 --> 19:54.233 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70%
of that old regime notion
that some are born to rule

19:54.233 --> 19:57.133 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5%
and the rest of us,
well, just deal with it.

19:58.366 --> 20:02.500 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70%
France's capital, Paris,
glitters with royal parks,

20:02.500 --> 20:04.433 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60%
gilded bridges,

20:04.433 --> 20:08.700 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80%
and of course, once the biggest
palace of all, the Louvre.

20:10.133 --> 20:13.433 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80%
And when those kings and nobles
wanted to get out of Paris

20:13.433 --> 20:16.433 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75%
for some hunting or perhaps
an intimate rendezvous,

20:16.433 --> 20:20.800 align:left position:12.5% line:83% size:77.5%
they escaped to their favorite
playground, the Loire Valley.

20:20.800 --> 20:25.533 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80%
Here, they built their getaways
with ever greater opulence,

20:25.533 --> 20:27.533 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80%
pleasure palaces and playgrounds

20:27.533 --> 20:29.766 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5%
where the extravagance
of the architecture

20:29.766 --> 20:33.600 align:left position:12.5% line:83% size:77.5%
and the beauty of the settings
seemingly knew no bounds.

20:35.566 --> 20:37.700 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70%
(light orchestral music)
But the palace of palaces,

20:37.700 --> 20:41.766 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75%
the palace other palaces were
modeled after, was Versailles.

20:41.766 --> 20:43.533 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60%
And Versailles,

20:43.533 --> 20:47.033 align:left position:27.5% line:77% size:62.5%
a potent mix of art
and architecture, is
all about this man,

20:47.033 --> 20:50.366 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5%
the ultimate divine
monarch, Louis XIV.

20:50.366 --> 20:51.933 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70%
The art and architecture

20:51.933 --> 20:55.300 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80%
of the palace celebrates Louis's
reign as the king of kings.

20:56.533 --> 20:59.466 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70%
It's essentially a long
series of lavish rooms,

20:59.466 --> 21:01.400 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70%
each with its own theme.

21:01.400 --> 21:04.466 align:left position:32.5% line:83% size:57.5%
The style is
delightfully Baroque,

21:04.466 --> 21:07.766 align:left position:15% line:89% size:75%
a riot of exuberant figures.

21:07.766 --> 21:09.900 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80%
The Venus Room reminded everyone

21:09.900 --> 21:12.100 align:left position:12.5% line:89% size:77.5%
that love ruled at Versailles.

21:12.100 --> 21:15.033 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5%
Here, couples would
cavort, blessed from above

21:15.033 --> 21:16.933 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70%
by the goddess of love.

21:16.933 --> 21:19.133 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80%
And as if to encourage the fun,

21:19.133 --> 21:21.933 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5%
Venus sends down
a flowery garland

21:21.933 --> 21:25.733 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60%
to ensnare others
in delicious amour.

21:27.900 --> 21:29.300 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70%
(light orchestral music)

21:29.300 --> 21:32.633 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75%
The hall of mirrors was the
highlight of the palace.

21:32.633 --> 21:35.866 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65%
No one had ever seen
anything like it.

21:35.866 --> 21:38.466 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65%
Mirrors were a great
luxury at the time,

21:38.466 --> 21:42.866 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5%
and this exquisite
ballroom was astounding.

21:42.866 --> 21:44.900 align:left position:15% line:89% size:75%
And whenever you'd look up,

21:44.900 --> 21:49.300 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5%
you'd see your king doing
what he did best, triumphing.

21:51.133 --> 21:53.133 align:left position:12.5% line:89% size:77.5%
One more way that Louis proved

21:53.133 --> 21:56.933 align:left position:12.5% line:83% size:77.5%
that he could rule like a God
was by controlling nature.

21:56.933 --> 22:00.633 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5%
These lavish grounds,
elaborately planned, ornamented

22:00.633 --> 22:03.800 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65%
and baroque as can
be, reminded everyone

22:03.800 --> 22:06.200 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5%
that their king was
in total command

22:06.200 --> 22:09.600 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5%
and that the kingdom of
France was in capable hands.

22:11.100 --> 22:12.800 align:left position:27.5% line:89% size:62.5%
By the mid 1700s,

22:12.800 --> 22:16.233 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70%
Baroque had morphed into
a style called Rococo.

22:16.233 --> 22:19.066 align:left position:32.5% line:83% size:57.5%
If Baroque was
controlled exuberance,

22:19.066 --> 22:22.333 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70%
Rococo was uncontrolled
exuberance.

22:22.333 --> 22:23.733 align:left position:17.5% line:89% size:72.5%
As if the divine monarchs

22:23.733 --> 22:26.533 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5%
and aristocrats needed
ever more over-the-top art

22:26.533 --> 22:28.733 align:left position:32.5% line:83% size:57.5%
to flaunt their
privileged status,

22:28.733 --> 22:31.400 align:left position:12.5% line:89% size:77.5%
their art became even fancier.

22:31.400 --> 22:34.666 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5%
Ultimately, with the focus
more on the decoration

22:34.666 --> 22:36.733 align:left position:15% line:89% size:75%
than on the subject itself.

22:36.733 --> 22:39.033 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70%
(light orchestral music)
Baroque's curved lines

22:39.033 --> 22:42.433 align:left position:32.5% line:83% size:57.5%
became Rococo's
even curvier lines.

22:43.966 --> 22:46.000 align:left position:22.5% line:89% size:67.5%
Circles became ovals.

22:47.966 --> 22:51.300 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5%
Everything glowed with
gilding and plenty of mirrors.

22:52.666 --> 22:56.133 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5%
Rococo was like Baroque
that got shrunk in the wash,

22:56.133 --> 22:58.800 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60%
lighter, frillier
and more delicate.

22:59.866 --> 23:01.433 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5%
(light orchestral
music continues)

23:01.433 --> 23:04.000 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5%
In the decor of this
royal palace, you can see

23:04.000 --> 23:08.100 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5%
how Rococo is even fancier
than fancy Baroque.

23:08.100 --> 23:10.566 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65%
Rooms slathered with
enormous wealth,

23:12.033 --> 23:13.900 align:left position:27.5% line:89% size:62.5%
kilos of gold leaf,

23:15.766 --> 23:20.833 align:left position:12.5% line:83% size:77.5%
lots of exotic Asian influence
and eye-popping extravagance.

23:22.133 --> 23:25.133 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75%
The Rococo style was perfect
for the new generation

23:25.133 --> 23:28.900 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75%
of rosy-cheeked aristocrats,
embracing their carefree lives

23:28.900 --> 23:33.100 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75%
of leisure as never before,
frolicking amid nature

23:33.100 --> 23:35.900 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5%
and indulging in every
sensual pleasure.

23:37.233 --> 23:40.066 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5%
The lives of these elites
were much like their art,

23:40.066 --> 23:42.533 align:left position:17.5% line:89% size:72.5%
decoration over substance.

23:42.533 --> 23:45.533 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5%
Across Europe, aristocrats
played in their palaces

23:45.533 --> 23:48.300 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5%
and picnicked in their
bucolic backyards.

23:48.300 --> 23:51.233 align:left position:25% line:83% size:65%
Pleasure gardens that
stretched to the horizon

23:51.233 --> 23:54.133 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70%
as if their divine right
world would go on forever.

23:54.133 --> 23:55.666 align:left position:32.5% line:89% size:57.5%
But it didn't.

23:55.666 --> 23:58.966 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5%
Rococo art was a symptom
of an excessive decadence

23:58.966 --> 24:02.033 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75%
among Europe's increasingly
out-of-touch elites,

24:02.033 --> 24:05.333 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5%
a decadence that would
lead to their demise.

24:06.766 --> 24:09.900 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5%
It's an exciting story from
the age of divine right kings,

24:09.900 --> 24:12.066 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5%
with their palaces
and propaganda,

24:12.066 --> 24:14.966 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70%
to the Enlightenment and
the age of revolution,

24:14.966 --> 24:19.166 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70%
with the sleek simplicity
of its neoclassical style.

24:19.166 --> 24:21.300 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5%
And through great
art and architecture,

24:21.300 --> 24:24.933 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80%
we can track the joys, struggles

24:26.366 --> 24:30.566 align:left position:12.5% line:83% size:77.5%
and growing pains of Europe's
long march toward progress.

24:33.666 --> 24:36.533 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70%
Europe offers a lifetime
of artistic treasures,

24:36.533 --> 24:38.166 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60%
and the more you
understand its art,

24:38.166 --> 24:41.266 align:left position:17.5% line:83% size:72.5%
the more you'll appreciate
the society that created it.

24:41.266 --> 24:42.666 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80%
I hope you've enjoyed our sweep

24:42.666 --> 24:44.933 align:left position:22.5% line:83% size:67.5%
through the highlights
of the Baroque age.

24:44.933 --> 24:47.566 align:left position:15% line:83% size:75%
While those kings and queens
were whining and dining,

24:47.566 --> 24:48.966 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5%
there was rumbling
in the streets,

24:48.966 --> 24:50.700 align:left position:27.5% line:83% size:62.5%
and that would lead
to a bloody revolution

24:50.700 --> 24:53.033 align:left position:17.5% line:89% size:72.5%
and even more dynamic art.

24:53.033 --> 24:54.133 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60%
I'm Rick Steves.

24:54.133 --> 24:56.433 align:left position:30% line:83% size:60%
Until next time,
keep on traveling.

24:59.000 --> 25:00.566 align:left position:22.5% line:5% size:67.5%
Hey, I'm Rick Steves.

25:00.566 --> 25:03.066 align:left position:25% line:5% size:65%
I'm so thankful to be
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25:03.066 --> 25:05.933 align:left position:22.5% line:5% size:67.5%
for travel right here
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25:05.933 --> 25:08.100 align:left position:22.5% line:5% size:67.5%
There's only one place
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25:08.100 --> 25:09.766 align:left position:27.5% line:5% size:62.5%
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Public television is
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25:13.566 --> 25:17.200 align:left position:12.5% line:5% size:77.5%
that respect our intelligence,
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25:17.200 --> 25:20.766 align:left position:12.5% line:5% size:77.5%
and our driven not by profits
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25:20.766 --> 25:24.566 align:left position:15% line:5% size:75%
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25:24.566 --> 25:26.400 align:left position:10% line:5% size:80%
If you appreciate the thoughtful

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25:31.200 --> 25:32.966 align:left position:20% line:5% size:70%
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25:47.000 --> 25:51.266 align:left position:20% line:5% size:70%
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25:51.266 --> 25:52.866 align:left position:27.5% line:5% size:62.5%
Consider the value

25:52.866 --> 25:55.633 align:left position:12.5% line:5% size:77.5%
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(light music)

26:01.866 --> 26:03.433 align:left position:20% line:5% size:70%
- [Announcer] Invest in
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26:15.333 --> 26:17.800 align:left position:17.5% line:5% size:72.5%
which shares his favorite
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26:17.800 --> 26:20.066 align:left position:20% line:5% size:70%
of travel in 100 essays.

26:20.066 --> 26:24.000 align:left position:17.5% line:5% size:72.5%
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26:24.000 --> 26:26.000 align:left position:30% line:5% size:60%
On top of that,
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26:26.000 --> 26:27.800 align:left position:27.5% line:5% size:62.5%
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26:27.800 --> 26:30.300 align:left position:27.5% line:5% size:62.5%
This book is packed
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26:30.300 --> 26:31.966 align:left position:12.5% line:5% size:77.5%
from chapters on packing light

26:31.966 --> 26:33.900 align:left position:10% line:5% size:80%
and planning a smart itinerary,

26:33.900 --> 26:37.266 align:left position:17.5% line:5% size:72.5%
to eating your way through
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26:37.266 --> 26:39.366 align:left position:27.5% line:5% size:62.5%
We'll also send you
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which is perfect for
pre-trip planning

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and using while you're on
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Plus, you'll receive
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And don't forget, with your
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Go to pbs.org/rick to give now.

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(light uptempo music)