Election of Pope Alexander VII

Coat of Arms of Pope Alexander VII, St Peter's Square

---

On April 7th 1655, Cardinal Fabio Chigi was elected pope, taking the name Alexander VII.

Some popes left their mark on the Eternal City more than others and one such figure was Alexander VII (r. 1655-67). He was a member of a princely Roman family of Sienese extraction and the heraldic arms of the Chigi family, which takes the form of six mountains surmounted by an eight-pointed star, can be seen all over Rome. 

The Chigi coat of arms is sometimes quartered with that of the Della Rovere family, a privilege conferred on Agostino Chigi (1465-1520), an immensely wealthy banker and patron of the arts, by Pope Julius II (Giuliano della Rovere, r. 1503-13). Rovere is the Italian word for oak and, unsurprisingly, the family's coat of arms incorporates an oak tree. 

The Chigi family's motto is Micat in Vertice (It shines at the summit).  
​

• Related post: Papal Coats of Arms. 

---

Organ loft, Santa Maria del Popolo

Elephant and Obelisk, Piazza della Minerva

Obelisk in Piazza della Minerva

Pantheon

Porta del Popolo

Sant' Andrea della Valle

Palazzo della Sapienza