The Building Projects of Sixtus V

Hughes, Liam

Item

The Building Projects of Sixtus V

Hughes, Liam

Abstract

The city of Rome underwent radical changes during the pontificate of Sixtus V. Felice Peretti ascended to the throne of St Peter in 1585, and reigned for 5 years. A genius urban reformer, he erected some of the city’s most iconic monuments and boulevards. His enormous contributions to the Counter Reformation are still visible today, as he utilized public space to ideologically counter the schism that Martin Luther spawned. Traditional historiography has long portrayed Sixtus as an ascetic outsider who selflessly reformed the city, curtailing lawless brigands and returning Rome to an era of peace and justice. But this popular conception of Sixtus V is not the result of actual achievements, but the result of his ability as a propagandist. He utilized his numerous public works and monuments to craft a powerful public persona, one which would endure in Roman folk tales of “giustizie” for centuries. This paper will first analyze the political, religious, and economic motivations behind his major public works, before then examining the ways in which he utilized these works to craft a personal mythology that drew upon a myriad of past figures, both historical and mythological.