Roman Renaissance

The Renaissance in Rome was a special time from the mid-15th to the mid-16th centuries. During this period, amazing artists like Michelangelo and Raphael created wonderful paintings and sculptures that changed art forever. People had a new love for old Roman ideas and buildings, which inspired artists to make beautiful, classical-style works.

In 1420, Pope Martin V brought the papal seat back to Rome after a long time away. He worked hard to fix old churches, palaces, bridges, and other important places. He brought in talented artists from Florence to help with this work, and this began the Roman Renaissance.

For a long time, Roman art still learned a lot from artists from places like Florence. But as popes and rich church leaders spent more money, many artists began to move to Rome, making it a busy place for creating beautiful art.

Historical background

The 1300s were a hard time for Rome because the popes were not there. This made life very tough for the people who stayed. When Pope Gregory XI came back to Rome in 1377, the city was messy and unsafe. There were big fights between rich families and regular people. After many years of trouble, Pope Martin V from the Colonna family helped bring peace and start to fix the city. This set the stage for Rome to grow and become important again.

Martin V (1417–1431)

Poe Martin V was born in Genazzano in 1368. He studied at the University of Perugia and later became an important church leader. In 1417, he was chosen to be pope and took the name Martin V. He traveled to Rome in 1420 after being invited by many leaders.

Martin V started many building projects in Rome. He helped fix and decorate important churches, like the Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran. Artists such as Donatello and Brunelleschi visited Rome during this time, bringing new ideas from classical art. One famous artist, Masaccio, also came to Rome and created paintings that showed a fresh, new style.

Eugene IV (1431–1447)

Eugenius IV, born in Venice in 1388, came from a wealthy family and was the nephew of Pope Gregory XII. He was elected pope in 1431. His time as pope was difficult, and in 1434, he had to flee Rome during a revolution. He found safety in Ostia with the help of the Florentines and stayed at the Dominican convent of Santa Maria Novella.

During his time in Florence, a center of learning and art, Pope Eugene IV consecrated the Florence Cathedral. He later returned to Rome and asked the Florentine artist Filarete to create bronze doors for the Old St. Peter's Basilica, which were finished in 1445. Artists like Leon Battista Alberti and Beato Angelico contributed to Rome's growing artistic culture, mixing different styles and creating what would become known as "Roman" art.

Nicholas V (1447–1455)

Working with Pope Nicholas V, the artist Alberti began big building projects to make Rome grand again. They wanted to restore walls, fix important churches, and improve areas like the Borgo district. They also planned to make Old St. Peter's Basilica bigger and fix the Apostolic Palace. The goal was to show the Church's power and connect it to ancient Roman times.

Even though Pope Nicholas V’s time was short, his plans brought many artists to Rome. They studied old ruins and created beautiful works together. One famous building is Palazzo Venezia, which mixes old Roman styles with new ideas. Artists like Fra Angelico painted wonderful pictures in the Pope’s private chapel, mixing old and new styles in their art.

Sixtus IV (1471–1484)

Pope Sixtus IV started the Vatican Library and gave it to a learned artist named Melozzo da Forlì. Melozzo painted a famous picture called Pope Sixtus IV Appoints Platina as Prefect of the Vatican Library, showing the pope with his family in grand ancient-style buildings.

The Sistine Chapel is named after Pope Sixtus IV, who restored an older chapel between 1477 and 1480. Originally, artists from nearby areas were supposed to decorate it, but thanks to Lorenzo de' Medici, the job went to top artists from Florence: Sandro Botticelli, Pietro Perugino, Pinturicchio, Domenico Ghirlandaio, and Cosimo Roselli. They painted beautiful scenes from the lives of Moses and Christ, with portraits of popes and fancy painted curtains to complete the look. The painting work started in 1481 and finished in 1482. The Sistine Chapel became very important for the church and a wonderful example of Renaissance art.

Alexander VI (1492–1503)

The late 1400s were shaped by Pope Alexander VI from the Borgia family of Spain. He worked to protect Rome, turning the Mausoleum of Hadrian into a strong fortress and building walls to guard against sea attacks. He created a grand road, now called Via della Conciliazione, leading to St. Peter's.

Even though he was a controversial leader, he loved art and science. During his time, new architectural styles began in Rome. Famous artists like Raphael, Michelangelo, and Pinturicchio created wonderful works. Alexander asked Pinturicchio to decorate rooms in the Vatican, now known as the Borgia Apartments.

Besides his own buildings, many others were constructed because of him. For example, Bramante designed the Tempietto di San Pietro in Montorio for Ferdinand II of Aragon. He also built the Palazzo della Cancelleria for Cardinal Raffaele Riario. In 1500, important churches like Santa Maria dell'Anima for Germans, Trinità dei Monti for the French, and Santa Maria in Monserrato degli Spagnoli for Spaniards were started. Alexander also helped decorate the ceiling of Santa Maria Maggiore using gold that came from America with Columbus.

Julius II (1503–1513)

Main article: Art patronage of Julius II

In 1503, Julius II became the pope after Pope Pius III. He was known for his strong leadership and for helping Italy become independent from France. He also loved art and supported many famous artists. During his time, artists like Bramante, Raphael, and Michelangelo created some of their most famous works. Julius II started building the Basilica of St. Peter in 1506 and connected the Vatican Palace to the Villa Belvedere. His love for art is shown in many places, such as the wonderful paintings by Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel and the rooms painted by Raphael in the Apostolic Palace. He also built beautiful streets and even a famous statue of Moses for his tomb in the church of San Pietro in Vincoli.

Leo X 1513-1521

The Medici Pope Leo X loved and supported the arts and sciences, and did more than any pope to make Rome the center of European culture. He built San Giovanni dei Fiorentini on the Via Giulia based on designs by Jacopo Sansovino and pushed forward with rebuilding St Peter's Basilica and the Vatican, working with Raphael and Agostino Chigi.

He especially encouraged painting, and Raphael grew greatly under his support. An ambassador wrote in 1518 that the pope let Raphael handle everything related to art. Raphael finished decorating the Stanze that he had started under Julius II, even including Pope Leo X in some scenes. He also created the Raphael Cartoons for tapestries in the Sistine Chapel, showing stories from the lives of Saints Peter and Paul. Some of the most famous paintings from this time are the Sistine Madonna and the Transfiguration.

While sculpture was not as popular under Leo X as painting, Michelangelo worked on a marble front for the Church of San Lorenzo in Florence but did not complete it. The biggest challenge was continuing to build the new St. Peter's Basilica. Bramante was the main architect until he died in 1514. Raphael took over, but in his six years, not much was done because of a lack of money.

Pope Leo X used all the money saved by his predecessor, Julius II. He sold special permissions called indulgences to help pay for these projects, which later helped cause the Protestant Reformation. After Leo X, Pope Adrian VI had a short time as pope, followed by Leo's cousin, Pope Clement VII, who began his rule in 1523.

After the Sack of 1527

The Sack of Rome in 1527, carried out by soldiers of the Emperor Charles V, suddenly ended the Roman High Renaissance. Many artists lost their lives, and those who survived moved to other cities, leaving their supporters in the Curia behind. When art began to flourish again, it showed a new style called Mannerist. Later, some artists reacted against this style with simpler, more natural works, inspired by the Counter-Reformation.

By the end of the century, Rome once more became a key place for art, marking the beginning of the Baroque period.