Baroque architecture utilized the feature of ornate moldings on
buildings. About three thousand years ago, the influential people of
society were the those involved in the church, such as the pope,
priests, as well as kings. Buildings were therefore shown to honor
the individuals and what they stood for. This period came to a high
point with the Catholic Church. The Church contracted famous
architects such as Bernini and Borromini to design massive cathedrals
with ornate furnishings. These architects used optical illusions and
creative uses of light to make the churches appear larger and
brighter. In this way, they were able to express the majesty and the
infallibility of God and the Church.
The sheer massiveness of Baroque buildings served a political purpose
as well. Excessive, gaudy ornateness and size of the mansions of the
great monarchs and top government officials as seen in Versailles in
France, Schonbrunn in Austria, or Blenheim in England emphasized the
power of the state and the importance of the monarchy. Though the
state may have gone bankrupt, the monarchy still looked good because
it spent so much time and money on these great buildings.