The Ecstacy of St. Teresa of Ávila

Bernini's work is a sculptural altarpiece group in white marble set in an elevated aedicule in the Cornaro Chapel of the church of Santa Maria della Vittoria in Rome. The Cornaro Chapel is a masterpiece of Baroque art and architecture. The chapel is most renowned for housing Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s breathtaking sculpture, “The Ecstasy of St. Teresa.”

The chapel also features theatrically staged, life-sized marble statues of the Cornaro family in opera boxes, appearing to discuss and admire the central mystical event. Their inclusion blurs the line between religious experience and theatrical presentation, a hallmark of the Baroque style.

Bernini's sculpture is a portrayal of St. Teresa’s vision where an angel pierces her heart with a divine arrow, representing her mystical union with God.  It took Bernini 5 years to make this out of marble.  It is located at The Cornaro Chapel, Santa Maria della Vittoria, Rome.