Baroque architecture is an architectural and decorative style developed on the basis of Italian Renaissance architecture in the 17th and 18th centuries. It is characterized by free appearance, pursuit of dynamics, preference for gorgeous decoration and sculpture, strong colors, and commonly interspersed curved surfaces and oval spaces. The original meaning of the word Baroque is strange and eccentric, and classicists used it to refer to this architectural style that was considered deviant. This style played an important role in opposing rigid classical forms, pursuing free and unrestrained style, and expressing secular tastes. It had an impact on city squares, garden art, and even literature and art sectors. It was once widely popular in Europe. The first Baroque building - the Jesuit Church in Rome. European Architectural Style - Baroque Architecture The Jesuit Church in Rome designed by Vignola, a famous Italian architect and architectural theorist in the late Renaissance, is a representative work of the transition from Mannerism to Baroque style, and some people call it the first Baroque building. Mannerism is an artistic style in Europe in the late 16th century. Its main feature is the pursuit of weird and unusual effects, such as expressing space in a deformed and uncoordinated way, and expressing characters with exaggerated slender proportions. In the history of architecture, it is used to refer to the tendency of early Baroque style to be reflected in the works of certain Italian architects from 1530 to 1600. European architectural style - Baroque architecture The Jesuit church in Rome is rectangular in plan, with a niche protruding from the end. It evolved from the Latin cross commonly used in Gothic churches. The nave is wide and the vault is full of statues and decorations. Two rows of small prayer rooms were used to replace the original side corridors on both sides. A dome rises in the middle of the cross. The altar of the church is richly and freely decorated. The mountain flowers above break through the classical French style and serve as icons and decorative lights. The facade of the church draws on the treatment of the Santa Maria Chapel in Florence designed by the early Renaissance architect Alberti. The layered eaves and pediments on the main door are made into overlapping arcs and triangles, and leaning columns and flat pilasters are used on both sides of the door. There are two pairs of large scrolls on both sides of the upper part of the facade. These treatment techniques were unique and were later widely imitated. The Baroque style broke the blind worship of Vitruvius, the ancient Roman architectural theorist, and also broke through the various rules and precepts set by the late Renaissance classicists, reflecting the secular thought of yearning for freedom. On the other hand, Baroque-style churches are magnificent and can create a strong mysterious atmosphere, which is also in line with the requirements of the Catholic Church to show off wealth and pursue mystery. Therefore, after Baroque architecture originated in Rome, it soon spread throughout Europe and even as far as the Americas. Some Baroque buildings overly pursue luxury and style, even to the point of being cumbersome.