That of Leon adopted by the new sovereign pontiff is no exception to the rule. Thirteen of his predecessors carried him before him. Léon 1er le Grand (440-461) saved Rome of the Hunnic Hordes in 455. His meeting with Attila entered the history of art thanks to the monumental fresco of Raphaël 7.50 meters in length which adorns one of the rooms painted by the artist at the Vatican Apostolic Palace. The last pope to have borne this name, Léon XIII (1878-1903) is best known for having laid the basics of the social doctrine of the church in his encyclical Rerum novarum (1891). A text whose first lines underline“The ardent desire for novelty that has long agitated peoples”among these new features he listed immediately“The prodigious arts progress and new methods of industry”. Starting with that of photography which was personified in one of the frescoes he had the Vatican made. But his tone is prophetic regarding cinema on the point of being born. He will also be the very first pope to be immortalized on a film providing the first media blessing.
Pope Leo XIII in 1878.
The list of leon who followed one another on the stone throne is rich in pontiffs which maintained with the arts a privileged report or left their mark in the heritage of Rome. Saint Léon III (795-816) was not only the one who crowned Charlemagne. THE Liber Pontificalalis (“Pontifical Book”), chronological catalog of all popes, compiled from life to the ninth centuries, refers to the construction and restoration of several churches in Rome as well as many buildings sumptuously decorated with marbles and mosaics. We owe the Cité Leonine to its successor Léon IV (847-855). He built around the Saint-Pierre basilica of the ramparts to protect it from the Saracen incursions. They constitute the only medieval enclosure built in Rome which surrounds the Vatican today. A unique architectural testimony.
But it is Leon X who undoubtedly symbolizes the role of Pope Mécène. Second son of Laurent the magnificent, this heir to the Medici family turns out to be a protector of the arts and letters with his rich collection of manuscripts. The greatest artists of his time are at his service. Raphaël realizes his famous portrait, which can be admired at the Galerie des Offices de Florence, and is responsible for completing the rooms (stanze) of the pontifical palace commanded by Jules II while continuing the work of the Saint-Pierre basilica. On August 27, 1515, Leon X finally appointed it “Prefect of all the marbles and all the engraved stones which will be unearthed”, Or the very first superintendent of archaeological goods in Rome. He also entrusted him with the mission to identify the vestiges of antiquity to develop a plan-relief of the City of Césars.
Beyond the Leon, Léon XIV is spoiled for choice to seek inspiration if he wishes to register his in the long tradition of patrical popes.
The return to grace of the apostolic palace?
Symbol. The new sovereign pontiff could reconnect with tradition by reinstating the pontifical apartments which are on the third floor of the apostolic palace, overlooking Saint-Pierre square. The construction of the palace began in the 15th century and was only completed until 1605. It housed the apostolic library, the sixtine chapel and therefore the pontifical apartments. Barely elected, Léon XIV ordered their reopening twelve years after their “abandonment” by François who found them “too luxurious” and had opted for a more modest and community lifestyle within the Sainte-Marthe residence, within the Vatican. Léon XIII was the first pontiff to occupy the pontifical apartments. Choice then confirmed without interruption by his successors. They consist of an anteroom, an office used for private audiences and the Pope’s personal work, a dining room, a small kitchen, a bedroom, a private chapel and a personal library. With the election of François, these pieces had only rarely used for official receptions. Some observers comment on this reopening of pontifical apartments as a sign of restoration of tradition. But before living them again, they will need a restoration at all. The lack of maintenance and negligence in the past twelve years have caused water infiltration, plants grow on the roof and the travertine cornice of one of the balconies threatens to detach.
