Where did the twisted columns of Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s baldachin originate?

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Lorenzo Bernini: Apollo and Daphne — Gian Lorenzo Bernini *Apollo and Daphne*, marble sculpture by Lorenzo Bernini, 1622–25; in the Borghese Gallery, Rome.

The twisted columns of Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s baldachin in St. Peter’s Basilica were inspired by the early Christian columns that stood in the altar screen of Old St. Peter’s.1

These original columns, known as salomónica, were traditionally believed to have been imported from the Temple of Solomon in ancient Jerusalem. By incorporating this design, Bernini echoed the historical significance of the site while creating a monumental bronze canopy over the tomb of St. Peter.21