Papal Medal - Clement IX / Apse of Santa Maria Maggiore
Iosephus
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Pope Clement IX / Apse of Santa Maria Maggiore
Attributed to Girolamo Lucenti, 1669.
Bronze, 75.2 mm Ø, 114.4 g
Obverse: Bust of Clement IX facing left, wearing camauro, mozzetta, and stole. Above and around, AMPLIATA · BASILICA · LIBERIANA (Enlarged the Liberian Basilica). Below and around, CLEMENS · IX · PONT · MAX · AN · SAL · MDCLXIX (Clement IX, Supreme Pontiff, the Year of Salvation 1669). The top and bottom inscriptions are divided by a cross on each side.
Reverse: Rear façade of the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, showing the curved and colonnaded apse. Around, DILIGIT · DOMINVS · DECOREM · DOMVS · GENITRICIS · SVÆ (The Lord Loves the Beauty of His Mother's House). Beginning and end of inscription divided by a cross.
Shortly after being elected pope in 1667, Clement IX decided to replace the old apse of the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore (also known as the Liberian Basilica). This replacement was intended to house the tombs for both him and his predecessor, Alexander VII. The design for the new apse and surroundings was created by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. On September 7, 1669, three gilt bronze examples of this medal were placed in the foundations as construction began. However, work was temporarily halted after Clement's death on December 9 of the same year. Construction would resume in 1672, now under the direction of Carlo Rainaldi, though the tomb of Clement IX was moved towards the entrance and the tomb of Alexander VII was placed in St. Peter's Basilica.
The reverse design of this medal derives from one of Bernini's drawings for the project. The reverse inscription derives from the first part of Psalm 25:8, Domine, dilexi decorem domus tuae (I have loved, O Lord, the beauty of thy house). The medal has traditionally been attributed to Gioacchino Francesco Travani, but Ostrow definitively reattributes it to Girolamo Lucenti (Ostrow 2014, p. 190).
Published: Illustrated in Modesti 2016, p. 305, no. 222.
References: Whitman and Varriano 1983, no. 108; Miselli 2003, no. 709; Ostrow 2014; Modesti 2016, no. 222
Comments
At the time they were made, who would have received a medal of this type? Were they offered for sale or only for presentations?
They were often used for gifts and presentation, but could also be sold (though I would say that is more typical with struck medals).
Virtus Collection - Renaissance and Baroque Medals
75mm is quite the presentation piece! Outstanding design on that reverse.