Renaissance and Baroque Rome

7 November 2005

Introduction

• Medieval Rome

• Late Medieval Politics

• Renaissance Rome

• Baroque Rome

• Modern Rome

Medieval Rome

• Catholics think of Rome, Vaticn City, as place where Pope lives and territory belonging to him

• However, between 7th and 19th C Pope physically controlled much of Italy

• City of Rome was spiritual capitol of all Western Christendom; political capitol of much of Italy

Late Medieval Politics

• Very weakened papacy from 14th and 15th C– Avignon papacy (1305-1378)– Counciliar movement; multiple claimants to papacy– Great Western Schism (1378-1415)– Papacy ‘captured’ by wealthy Roman and Florentine

families

• Increasingly independent kings– 100 years war between France and England

Renaissance Rome: Pope Nicholas V (1447-1455)

• Humanist scholar– Wanted to reconcile Church to secular culture of Renaissance– Wanted to make Catholic Rome worthy of her ancient glory

• Tore down much of ramshackle Medieval Rome, restored ancient Churches

• Decided to teardown and rebuild St. Peter’s– Through neglect the basilica’s walls were buckling– Great Renaissance architect Alberti was first of many great artists to

work on new St. Peters for next 150 years• Decided to hold a jubilee year in 1450 to help pay for work

– Plenary indulgence for visiting St. Mary Major, St. John Lateran, S. Paul Outside the Walls, St. Peter’s

• In 1455 he established the Vatican Library and the Vatican Museum

Popes at end of 15th and beginning of 16th C

• Pius II, Paul II, Sixstus IV– All continued the work of restoring Rome

• Pope Alexander VI (Borgia)– Divides ‘world’ between Spain and Portugal down Atlantic in

1493– Ruled Indians could make their own decisions, had souls

• Julius II (1503-1513)– Brought Bramante (1444-1514) to Rome from Urbino; designs

most of exterior of St. Peter’s, lays foundation stone 1506 – Brought Michelangelo (1475-1564) to Rome from Florence;

Commissioned Sistine chapel in 1508• Leo X (1513-1521)

– Brought Raphael (1483-1520) to Rome from Urbino to decorate the Papal apartments

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a1/Sistine.left.600pix.jpg

Political Situation Early 16th C

• Powerful Ottoman Turks in control of Eastern and Southern Mediterranean

• Spain newly unified after expulsion of Muslims• France and England in uneasy truce• France and HRE in occasional battles over eastern France• Strong National Rulers

– Francois I of France– Charles V HRE (Spain, Germany, Netherlands)– Henry VIII in England

• Popes in very weakened political situation after Avignon papacy; reliant on sale of indulgences and simony for funds

• Age of European discovery and exploration

Beginnings of Reformation• The straw that broke the camel’s back: 1517, Albrecht of Mainz

wants to be Archbishop– Albrecht buys his archbishopric from Rome (sin of simony); Rome

needs the money in part to help pay for rebuilding of St. Peters– Rome authorizes the preaching of a special indulgence in Germany,

with the money to go to Albrecht to repay him• Martin Luther (1483-1546)

– Luther travels to Rome in 1510 and is shocked by decadence of Rome– Responds Albrecht and preaching of indulgences with 95 Thesis– Go far beyond denouncing sin of simony and corruption; fundamentally

calls into question Rome’s primary and theology of indulgences; denounces scholasticism

– German princes support Luther against Rome• Note: 16th C reform movements attacked doctrine, not just practice

as Medieval reform movements had done

Example of Turmoil and Confused Political Situation: Sack of Rome

• Emperor Charles V, most powerful man in Europe, devout Catholic, implacable foe of Luther

• Political ambitions opposed by Pope Clement VII• Charles forms a German and Spanish army composed

of Catholics and Lutherans and attacks Rome in 1527• Pope flees for his life to Castle S. Angelo; Swiss army

tries to protect him; prisoner in Castle S. Angelo for a year

• Army leaves after being paid off• Pope Paul III commissions the wall behind the altar in

Sistine Chapel from Michelangelo in memory and sorrow over sack: Last Judgment

Catholic Response: Jesuits

• Jesuits (Society of Jesus) founded by Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556)• NOT founded to counter Reformation; but charter put Jesuits on front lines

against Reformers• Key points in early Jesuit charter (1541):

– the vow not to accept ecclesiastical dignities; – special relationship to Pope– increased probations. The novitiate is prolonged from one year to two, with a

third year, which usually falls after the priesthood. Candidates are moreover at first admitted to simple vows only, solemn vows coming much later on;

– the Society does not keep choir; – it does not have a distinctive religious habit; – it is also said to have been the first order to undertake officially and by virtue of

its constitutions active works such as the following: • foreign missions, at the pope's bidding; • the education of youth of all classes; • the instruction of the ignorant and the poor; • ministering to the sick, to prisoners, etc.

Jesuits and Papacy

• Jesuits become the Pope’s ‘Marines’• Missionaries on voyages of discovery• Intellectual leaders in Vatican• Supported new learning, new artistic techniques,

in service of renewed Catholic spirituality• Spearheaded a new Catholic confidence

– Saints– Religious Art– Penance– Indulgences (properly udnerstood)

Church of the Gesu

• Located on site that Ignatius of Loyola selected for his Roman headquarters

• Dedicated in 1584 after 40 years of construction and 6 architects including Michelangelo

• Mother Church for Jesuits• Model for Jesuit churches

throughout the world

Baroque

• Massive urban renewal of Rome

• Spectacular building projects, most of them religious

• Primary artists– Francesco Borromini (1599-1667)– Gianlornezo Bernini (1598-1680)

Borromini’s Rome

Bernini’s Rome

• Fountains

• Sculptures

• Churches

The Ultimate Statement of Baroque: St. Peter’s

• Note the list of great artists who worked on new St. Peter’s:– Alberti– Bramanate– Della Porta– Michelangelo

• But the final driving force to bring the entire monumental work to completion: Bernini

After Baroque: The City

• Rome spread out• By 19th C population returned to where it had

been in antiquity (1,000,000)• Mussolini tore down most of what was left of

Medieval Rome • Rome has gone through a significant restoration

of churches, monuments, art works– Sistine Chapel in 1980s– Preparations for Year 2000