This period witnesses the reemergence of Rome—suffering nearly four decades of neglect during the time of the Great Schism—as a major international power. Construction and renovation is funded largely by the popes.The Papacy during the Renaissance, many of whom are elected from the country’s wealthiest and most influential families (such as the Colonna, Farnese, and Medici); their collective aim is to renew the city’s link with the classical past
Essay
The Rediscovery of Classical Antiquity, and shape it into a symbol of papal authority which, throughout the period, extends far beyond religious matters into civic administration and political leadership.
