Papacy Pope Alexander VII

1 papacy

1.1 election pope
1.2 nepotism
1.3 urban , architectural projects in rome

papacy
election pope

when innocent x died on 1 january 1655, cardinal chigi, candidate favoured spain, elected pope after eighty days in conclave, on 7 april 1655, taking name of alexander vii.

nepotism

the conclave believed opposed nepotism had been feature of previous popes. indeed, in first year of reign, alexander vii lived , forbade relations visit rome. contemporary, john bargrave (having visited rome during period following election , later during papacy) wrote following:

in first months of elevation popedom, had taken upon him profession of evangelical life wont season meat ashes, sleep upon hard couch, hate riches, glory, , pomp, taking great pleasure give audience ambassadors in chamber full of dead men s sculls, , in sight of coffin, stood there put him in mind of death. [his] extraordinary devotion , sanctity of life found esteemed noise of spread far , near. had called relations him changed nature. instead of humility succeeded vanity; mortification vanished, hard couch turned soft featherbed, dead men s sculls jewels, , thoughts of death ambition — filling empty coffin money if corrupt death, , purchase life riches.

the prose may grossly exaggerated, view of protestant clergyman , nephew of dean of canterbury, but, indeed, @ least true in consistory of 24 april 1656 pope alexander announced brother , nephews coming assist him in rome. nephew, cardinal flavio chigi assumed position of cardinal-nephew. administration given largely hands of relatives, , nepotism became luxuriously entrenched ever had been in baroque papacy: gave them best-paid civil , ecclesiastical offices, , princely palaces , estates suitable chigi of siena. cardinal flavio began work on villa chigi-versaglia @ formello in 1664.

urban , architectural projects in rome

fabio chigi papal nuntius peace of westphalia negotiations, anselm van hulle (c. 1646)



alexander vii, domenico guidi

a number of pontifs renowned urban planning in city of rome—for example, pope julius ii , pope sixtus v—but alexander vii’s numerous urban interventions not diverse in scope , scale demonstrated consistent planning , architectural vision glorification , embellishment of city, ancient , modern, sacred , secular, should governed order , decorum.

central alexander’s urbanism idea of teatro or urban theatre whereby urban interventions became grand settings or showpieces appropriate dignity of rome , head of catholic church. therefore, , although scales vastly different, small santa maria della pace , piazza teatro imposing monumental colonnade forms piazza san pietro in front of st. peter s basilica.

the various urban , architectural projects carried out during alexander’s reign recorded in engravings giovanni battista falda , first volume published in 1665. volumes published giovanni giacomo de rossi under title il nuovo teatro delle fabriche et edificij in prospettiva di roma moderna sotto il felice pontificato di n.s. alessandro vii. rival publication documenting these projects published rossi s cousin giovanni battista de rossi employed young flemish architectural draughtsman lieven cruyl produce drawings of rome, 10 of published in 1666 under title prospectus locorum urbis romae insignium.

his preferred architect sculptor , architect gianlorenzo bernini gave architectural commissions painter , architect pietro da cortona. of 3 leading architects of roman high baroque, francesco borromini fared not under alexander; may because thought borromini’s architectural forms willful borromini notoriously difficult. nonetheless, alexander’s family heraldic emblems of mons or mountains stars , oak leaves, adorn borromini’s church of sant ivo alla sapienza , many other works of reign.

alexander took keen personal interest in urban , architectural projects , made notes of these in diaries. projects in rome included: church , piazza @ santa maria della pace; via del corso, piazza colonna , associated buildings; reworking of porta del popolo, piazza del popolo , santa maria del popolo; piazza san pietro, scala regia , interior embellishments in vatican palace , st. peter s; sant andrea al quirinale; part of palazzo del quirinale; obelisk , elephant in piazza della minerva; , palazzo chigi. palazzo chigi in rome not confused palazzo chigi in s. quirico d orcia in tuscany, or palazzo chigi di formello.