A heavy-handed pope with an artistic flair

Pope Innocent X’s life cannot really be said to be uneventful. Giovanni Battista Pamphilj was born in Rome in 1574, but he was elected pope in 1644 thanks to the Spanish cardinals, who knew they could count on him to represent the interests of the Spanish court.
Although he only held the position for 11 years, neither his life nor his papacy can be said to be uneventful. During his papacy, the Peace of Westphalia, which ensured, among other things, religious freedom, was born in 1648 – which he vehemently opposed. He reformed the liturgy of the Chinese Catholics and, if necessary, ruled the papal army with a heavy hand. In the meantime, he even had time to create the Piazza Navona, which defines the image of Rome to this day, to build the magnificent Pamphilj fortress and to sit as a model for one of the finest Spanish painters, Diego Velázquez.

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