February 1st 1598: Death of the Neapolitan painter Scipione Pulzone, also known as il Gaetano. 1691: Death of Pope Alexander VIII (r. 1689-91). 1839: Death of the Roman architect Giuseppe Valadier (b. 1762), who redesigned Piazza del Popolo. 1994: Theft of the 'Bambinello', a much venerated wooden statue of the baby Jesus, from the church of Santa Maria in Aracoeli. February 2nd 1594: Death of the composer Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina. 1769: Death of Pope Clement XIII (r. 1758-69). 1831: Election of Pope Gregory XVI (r. 1831-46). 1836: Death of Maria Letizia Ramolino, mother of Napoleon Bonaparte.
February 4th 1498: Death of the Florentine painter and sculptor Antonio del Pollaiuolo, who is buried in the church of San Pietro in Vincoli. 1787: Death of the painter Pompeo Batoni (b. 1708).
February 5th 1577: Birth of Beatrice Cenci (d. 1599), who was executed for the crime of parricide. 1714: Death of the architect Carlo Fontana (b. 1638).
February 6th 1740: Death of Pope Clement XII (r. 1730-40). 1922: Election of Pope Pius XI (r. 1922-39). February 7th 1550: Election of Pope Julius III (r. 1550-55). 1652: Death of the composer Gregorio Allegri (b. 1582). 1878: Death of Pius IX, the longest reigning pope in history. Pope Pius IX (r. 1846-78) is buried in the church of San Lorenzo fuori le Mura. February 8th 1691: Death of the architect Carlo Rainaldi (b. 1611). 1751: Death of Nicola Salvi (b. 1697), the Roman architect who designed the Trevi Fountain.
February 9th 1621: Gregory XV (r. 1621-23) became the last pope to be elected by acclamation.
February 10th 1829: Death of Pope Leo XII (r. 1823-29). 1939: Death of Pope Pius XI (r. 1922-39). February 11th 1929: The Lateran Treaty was signed, thus creating the Vatican City State. 2013: Pope Benedict XIV (r. 2005-13) announced his resignation, which took place on February 28th. February 14th 44 BCE: Julius Caesar was appointed perpetual dictator (dictator in perpetuum).
February 15th 1594: Death of the architect Francesco Capriani, also known as Francesco da Volterra (b. 1534). 1775: Election of Pope Pius VI (r. 1775-79).
February 16th 1868: Death of the sculptor Adamo Tadolini (b. 1788), an erstwhile pupil of Antonio Canova.
February 17th 1600: Death of the Dominican friar and philosopher Giordano Bruno. Bruno (b. 1548), having spent 7 years in custody, was convicted of heresy and burnt at the stake in the Campo de' Fiori. 1652: Death of the composer Gregorio Allegri (b. 1582), who is buried in the Chiesa Nuova. Allegri is best known for his Miserere for two choirs.
February 18th 1455: Death of the painter Fra Angelico, who is buried in the Dominican church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva. 1564: Death of Michelangelo (b. 1475), who is buried in the Florentine church of Santa Croce.
February 20th 1431: Death of Pope Martin V (r. 1417-31), who is buried in San Giovanni in Laterano. 1816: Premiere of Rossini's opera Il Barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville) at the Teatro Argentina. 1878: Election of Pope Leo XIII (r. 1878-1903).
February 21st 1173: Canonisation of Thomas Becket (1119/20-1170) by Pope Alexander III (r. 1159-81). 1513: Death of Julius II (r. 1503-13), the pope who commissioned Michelangelo to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. 1730: Death of Pope Benedict XIII (r. 1724-30).
February 22nd 1300: Pope BonifaceVIII (r. 1290-1303) announces the first Jubilee (Holy Year).
February 23rd 1447: Death of Pope Eugenius IV (r. 1431-47). 1821: Death of the poet John Keats (b. 1795), who is buried in the so-called 'English' Cemetery.
February 24th 1582: Pope Gregory XIII (r. 1572-85) announces the introduction of a new calendar, which came into effect on October 15th.
February 25th 1570: Pope Pius V (r. 1566-72) declares the excommunication of Queen Elizabeth I of England.
February 28th 2013: Resignation of Pope Benedict XVI (r. 2005-13).
February 29th 1740: Death of Cardinal Pietro Ottoboni (b. 1667), the grand-nephew of Pope Alexander VII (r. 1689-91) and a major patron of the arts. Ottoboni was the last person to hold the post of cardinal-nephew, which was abolished by Pope Innocent XII (r. 1691-1700).