I
Papi marchigiani
Over
the centuries, Le Marche has given birth to various Popes, however only
a few of these remain traceable to our territory. For example, Giovanni
Fasano, Giovanni XVIII, who
came from Rapagnano was pope from 1003 to 1009, although with the
exception of a bust conserved in the parish church of his home town, no
other testimony remains.
There was also Niccolò IV (Girolamo
Masci), also from the Ascoli Piceno region. He was born in Lisciano and
was pope from 1288 up until his death in 1292. The civic art gallery in
Ascoli Piceno keeps a precious silk and gold cope which the town
presented to him upon his appointment.
In 1585
Felice Peretti from Grottamare became pope. During
Sisto V’s (his chosen name) five
year papacy, Rome underwent a complete architectural and administrative
transformation. Confirming his bond to the place of his childhood, Sisto
invested the title of “city” to the village his family came from,
Montalto delle Marche. It was there that he also founded a secondary
school, assigned a dowry to poor spinsters and gave his village a
reliquary belonging to Paolo II (today
held by the local Diocesan museum). In his birth place of Grottamare,
Sisto V initiated the construction of the Santa Lucia Church and the
local Diocesan Museum of Sacred Art, which today holds a collection of
sacred vestments, chalices and objects which belonged to him.
In
1592 Pope Clemente VIII from Fano
was elected, a name assigned to Ippolito Aldobrandini who is remembered
for his intense diplomatic activity and for the definitive sentence of
Giordano Bruno.
Whilst
there is very little trace of him in Le Marche, you might be interested
to know that it was probably down to him that coffee took off in Europe.
An
incisive mark was left by Clemente XI
from Urbino (Gian Francesco Albani); during the numerous years of his
papacy (1700-1721) he reserved particular attention for his home town,
contributing to the splendid renovation of Urbino. He was also
responsible for the expansion of the university, the restoration of
numerous churches, the Palazzo Ducale and the city walls, and also in
Portonovo, where he initiated the construction of the watch tower which
sits by the beach.
Apparently,
from a noble family from Le Marche there was also Gianvincenzo
Ganganelli, elected Pope in 1769 with the name Clemente
XIV: he came from Sant’Angelo in Vado and is remembered for
his diplomatic actions; he instigated the reclamation of the Paludi
Pontine and founded the Clementine Museum in Rome. Unfortunately, little
testimony remains in Le Marche.
Annibale
Sermattei from Genga became Pope in 1823 with the name Leone
XII. He was extremely rigid in his papal reign, although he
never forgot his birthplace; in fact he improved the road networks in
Fabriano and made every effort to make the land around Genga more
useable and fertile. He also had the Tempio Ottaganole (designed by
French architect Valadier) built in the Grotte del Santuario di Frassasi,
still admired today. He died in 1829. His successor was also in fact
from Le Marche: Francesco Saverio Castigliono from Cingoli, in the
century of Pope Pio VIII.
His
papacy was a brief one, lasting just 22 months. In the town of his
birth, even today you can marvel at the Palazzo dei Marchesi Castiglioni
which inside, holds many of his furnishings and objects as well as
paintings and sculptures portraying the pontiff.
Finally
Pio IX, or rather Giovanni Maria
Mastai Ferretti, was born in Senigallia to a noble family and became
pope in 1846. His appointment lasted until his death in 1878, he was
beatified in 2000. In Senigallia it’s possible to visit his
interesting home, now a museum – Palazzo Mastai, which is full of
signed letters, relics and period furnishings; also the Cathedral of
Senigallia has a façade of Pio IX, whilst around the city there remain
various other villas belonging to the Mastai Ferretti family.
In
conclusion, there is a considerable list of Popes who came from Le
Marche, sons of a region full of spirituality, able to grow amongst
nature, bringing them even closer to God.