Elroy An

The Urbanization of Rome and Rise of the Catholic Church

At the end of the 15th century, a new family rose to the international stage as Rome and the Catholic Church undertook many physical and political changes. The della Rovere Family would be recognized for the next two centuries as they rebuilt the “broken city” - Rome. What was unique about this family (in particular, the first pope of the family) among the other papal families was their desire not just to dominate Rome, but also to establish an independent dynastic state in the influence of the pope. It all started with a man named Francesco della Rovere (Fig. 1, on the left) born on July 21, 1414 (d. August 12, 1484) in the Ligurian town of Celle, near Savona. Not much of his childhood was recorded, but it was believed that his father, Leonardo della Rovere (d. 1430), held a government office. Moreover, Francesco della Rovere’s family was considered minor merchants and petty landowners.

Becoming ill at a young age, he was educated and literally raised by the Franciscan order. Della Rovere went on to earn a doctorate in theology (logic and philosophy) from the University of Padua. After graduating, he became an academic, teaching at Padua and Perugia. His theological training became his most distinguished feature, as he was on the road to the papacy “not through ancient privilege, but through individual study, sacrifice, and devotion” (Majanlahti). This would set the tone for his future endeavors as pope. In 1336, he was the assistant to the general of the Franciscan Minorities and after three years, he became the private confessor to the Greek cardinal John Bessarion. In 1464, he furthered his career as the minister general of the Franciscans. Soon after, Pope Paul II Barbo promoted Francesco della Rovere to be the cardinal of the titular church, San Pietro in Vincoli. With years of religious experience, della Rovere became the cardinal protector of the Franciscans. Finally, on August 9, 1471, Francesco della Rovere was elected as Pope Sixtus IV. At this point, he raised the Savonese family from an obscure clan to a well-known family.

During his papacy, Pope Sixtus IV had a reputation for nepotism, or showing favoritism toward relatives and friends, as he elected four of his relatives to power. However, he was a unique Pope as his favoritism extended not only to his family, but also mainly to the Catholic Church. Historians have examined many of the art that were left behind by the della Rovere family. The frescoes depicting scenes from Sixtus IV’s life in the Hospital of Santo Spirito in Sassia portray Sixtus IV as very self-aggrandizing. But, what is interesting was that he deliberately chose not to place it in the Vatican Palace for everyone to admire and did not commission work of the highest quality. Although it was common to over exaggerate the Pope’s accomplishments, Pope Sixtus IV was different in that he was more humble; he wanted less focus on himself and more on the Catholic Church. The public would praise his contributions as several inscriptions attest for his accomplishments. For instance, the plaque in the Campo de’Fiori near via de’Balestrari translates as:

Field of Mars, you who were lately rotten

and filthy with noisome muck, and full of hideous decay,

with Sixtus as your prince you lay aside this foul aspect:

All things are resplendent in this spruce quarter.

A fitting reward due to the salutiferous Sixtus.

How indebted is Rome to her supreme pontiff!

Sixtus IV is famous for overseeing the urbanization of Rome sponsored by the Catholic Church. He was different from most patrons as he focused on raising the church’s name as a personal and religious goal. The papacy had been in Avignon and it was time to bring the papacy back to Rome, a neglected city in chaos. Of course, there was a side benefit - his family’s name also rose to renowned status. Yet, he would often be depicted as a representative of the Church and not the della Rovere family. An example includes frescoes in the Sistine Chapel that show Sixtus IV not as a della Rovere prince, but as a pope – patron of the chapel.

A dedicatory inscription in a fresco by Melozzo da Forli in the Vatican Palace records states, "You gave your city temples, streets, squares, fortifications, bridges and restored the Acqua Vergine as far as the Trevi..." (Majanlahti). This is a justifiable statement as Pope Sixtus IV headed many restoration and building projects throughout Rome. He ordered the restoration of aqueducts to provide Rome an alternate water source to the river water, which was very unhealthy. Sixtus IV also approved the restoration of approximately forty churches and the building of seven churches including San Vitale, Santa Maria del Popolo, San Pietro in Montorio, and Santa Maria della Pace. The urbanization of Rome integrated the Catholic Church as these buildings were repaired. In addition, the Pope approved the renovation of the Hospital of Santo Spirito near St. Peter’s Basilica. Thirty-seven frescoes recorded Sixtus IV’s accomplishments at the hospital while twelve of them were about his urban projects.

With the necessities of clean water established, Sixtus IV authorized road development when he decreed a bull in 1480 to widen the streets of Campidoglio, or Capitoline Hill. The three main arteries leading from the Vatican through the city including via Recta (renamed via dei Coronari), via Papale, and Via dei Pellegrini were widened and paved. This was also the first post-Roman paving for free public passage. Furthermore, via Sistina was built so pilgrims could have a direct route from Castel Sant’Angelo to Saint Peter’s Basilica. This was a key road in that it integrated Vatican Hill and Borgo with the heart of old Rome. Again, this shows Sixtus IV’s political and religious goals to publicize the Catholic Church.

In 1480, Sixtus IV gave powers to the urban planning authority, or the magistri viarum, with a statement in a bull: ‘it seems to us fair to place communal utility before individual convenience.’ This supports Sixtus IV’s view toward benefiting not just himself but also the Church. Another bull permitted clerics to will real estate to their relatives. This allowed the rich citizens to invest in palaces without the fear of property seizure by the Vatican. This urban decree served to promote the redevelopment of Rome. Another decree worked in conjunction as it permitted builders to construct great palaces to replace neighboring, smaller buildings. This encouraged greater grandeur throughout the city.

Fig. 2 The Founding of the Vatican Library

Fig. 3 Vatican Library

With his general patronage to the urbanization of the city, Pope Sixtus IV also commissioned several noteworthy building projects. Sixtus IV founded the Vatican Library to show support for growth and knowledge. A group portrait, The Founding of the Vatican Library by Melozzo da Forli (Fig. 2), originally on the north wall of the Biblioteca Latina (Latin Library) and now in the Vatican Pincoteca, represents an important message behind Sixtus IV’s patronage of the Vatican Library (Fig. 3). He humbly portrays the family together, and not simply himself, as the patrons of the library. His generosity and humility would set the tone for Popes to follow as the Catholic Church continued to contribute to Rome. One of his grandest projects was the renovation and redecoration of the papal palatine chapel at the Vatican. This was known as the Cappella Magna or Maius Sacrarium or presently known as the Sistine Chapel (Fig. 4), which Michelangelo would by hired by Pope Julius II to paint. Truly, the Sistine Chapel represents Sixtus IV’s ideals as it was about the aggrandizement of the Latin church and not the della Rovere clan.

Fig 4. The Sistine Chapel

Fig. 5 The Ponte Sisto (Photo taken by Elroy An)

A major component to Sixtus IV’s urbanization of Rome – connecting the city together – was the Ponte Sisto (Fig. 5). As a part of the renovation of the city in 1473 and to prevent a cataclysm such as the 1450 disaster on the Castel Sant’Angelo bridge from recurring, Sixtus IV rebuilt the bridge that connected the land that was separated by the Tiber River. This 11 m wide bridge is built of tuffa faced with travertine and extends 108 m across the river. Although the origin of this bridge goes back to Emperor Marcus Aurelius in 211 AD, the original bridge was destroyed by high waters in 791 AD; thus, Pope Sixtus IV built his new bridge on top of the Roman ruins. The bridge has a large, circular hole, called the “big eyeglass,” in the central pylon to allow water to flow through when the river is high. This opening also serves as the reference point for flood alarms when the river waters rose. The Ponte Sisto is interesting in that it exemplifies Sixtus IV’s intentions to be a humble pope, as he does not mention his family name and clearly states that it was built for the ease of movement about the city for the citizens of Rome – a practical gift. At the end of the Ponte Sisto bridge are two inscriptions. On the right side:

Photo taken by Elroy An

Translation:

For the convenience of the people of Rome

and of the multitude of visitors bound for the Jubilee,

Sixtus the Fourth, Supreme Pontiff,

with great care and great expense rebuilt from its foundations

this bridge, which in former times the justly called 'Broken,'

and desired that it should be called 'Sisto'

after his own name.

On the left side:

Photo taken by Elroy An

Translation:

You who cross by the kindness of Sixtus the Fourth,

pray god that he may long keep and preserve for us

our Supreme and most excellent Pontiff.

Farewell, whoever you be,

once you have offered this prayer.

As the inscriptions attest, Sixtus IV's intentions to urbanize Rome would benefit Romans and save the city from further dilapidation. Moreover, it is interesting that the bridge symbolizes Pope Sixtus IV. Inscriptions keep referring to him as Pontiff, which was a common name for the pope. Pontiff derives from the Latin root words of pons and facere, or “bridge” or “to do or make” respectively. This translates to “bridge builder” because the pope is the bridge from the mortal world to heaven. This is an interesting coincidence because Sixtus IV unites Rome through a physical bridge (ponte).

Reflecting on all the patronage of Pope Sixtus IV, there is a general trend, as mentioned, to his goals. The main goals were religious and political goals, as he wanted to advance the reputation of the Catholic Church through donations that were practical to Romans. Personal goals were attached as Pope Sixtus IV did recognize the della Rovere name, as other families did, and would allow his family members to carry the family name in high political and religious positions. What was surprising was that although Pope Sixtus IV is known as nepotistic toward the della Rovere family, he was more focused on promoting the Catholic Church. Pope Sixtus IV’s patronage would set the tone for years to come as it benefited the family and the church. People in present-day may overlook Pope Sixtus IV’s patronage, but it is unavoidable that he brought back the Church to a renovated Rome and fixed the “broken city” – leading the urbanization of Rome.

During my research, I was surprised by all of the projects Pope Sixtus IV commissioned because I knew very little about the della Rovere family. It was interesting to find out that Rome was not always a beautiful city and that a lot of rebuilding took place to restore the eternal city. Moreover, it was interesting to learn that although Sixtus IV was known to be nepotistic, his main goal was to publicize the Catholic Church. In my view, Sixtus IV is often under-appreciated for his work, but he was definitely one of the key people in the redevelopment of Rome.

Bibliography

Foster, Brett and Marcovitz, Hal, “Being Geniuses Together: Early and High Renaissance Rome”, ch. 5 in Bloom’s Literary Guide to Rome, Checkmark Books, 2007.

Lew, Brother Lawrence. Aug. 2008. PeaceWork Magazine. 28 June 2009 .

Majanlahti, Anthony, “The Della Rovere, “ selections from ch. 3 in The Families Who Made Rome. London, 2005.

"Ponte Sisto." Wikpedia. 19 June 2009. Wikimedia Foundations. 19 June 2009 .

"Pope Sixtus IV." 19 June 2009. Wikimedia Foundations. 19 June 2009 .

"Pope Sixtus IV." 28 Mar. 2008. The Encyclopedia Press. 19 June 2009 .

"Pope Sixtus IV." NNDB. 2009. Soylent Communications. 19 June 2009 .

Sistine Chapel Photos - Vatican. 2006. Habeeb.com. 25 June 2009 .

Verstegen, Ian. Patronage and Dynasty: The Rise of the Della Rovere in Renaissance Italy. Kirksville, Mo: Truman State University Press, 2007.