In the fifteenth century the structure of Rome was radically transformed. Humanistic culture came out of the small circle of artists and writers: through architecture, works of art and new ideas of the “ideal city”, humanism ended up conquering the same ecclesiastical circles up to the popes. In fact, the renewal of Rome drew impetus from the popes who called great artists such as Leon Battista Alberti, Michelangelo, Raphael, Bramante, Cellini and others to build and decorate churches and palaces, redesigning the city that was to return to being the most impressive in the world.Nicolò V, in the middle of the century, started a vast urban overhaul program according to which he had the old Petrian basilica demolished and entrusted Rossellino with the task of building a new one. Leon Battista Alberti began the construction of the Vatican Palaces, the villages were then renovated and the new Palazzo dei Conservatori was built on the Capitoline squareMany restorations and building initiatives were undertaken on the occasion of the holy year of 1450, when a new road network was created, no longer in function of the old representation centers (Fori, Campidoglio, Laterano), but of the Vatican. On the occasion of the following one in 1475, Sixtus V (1471-84) intervened both on the road infrastructures (an example is Ponte Sisto, the first built in Rome after antiquity), and on the definition of the areas of representative and commercial centers such as Piazza Navona and Campo dei Fiori.
In the last decades of the fifteenth century, starting from the Palazzo della Cancelleria, we witnessed the construction of the first large Renaissance palaces.The sixteenth century began with the papacy of Julius II (1503-13), who started the reconstruction of S. Pietro, the opening of new roads along the Tiber, via Giulia and via della Lungara and entrusted Michelangelo with the task of fresco the Sistine Chapel.But the first half of the Roman sixteenth century is dominated by the figure of Alessandro Farnese, then Paul III (1534-1549): he, already as a cardinal, imagined a purely monumental city, in line with the construction of the first Renaissance palaces (Palazzo Venezia and Palazzo of the Chancellery). He built Palazzo Farnese in the center of the Arenula district, which became a model for subsequent constructions, in fact, until the late Renaissance, the old houses were demolished to make way for imposing buildings (Massimo, Chigi, Spada, Colonna, Borghese and others) . As pontiff he deeply engraved in the urban fabric, promoting the opening of via Trinitatis (Condotti), the ecclesiastical re-appropriation of the archaeological area and the Campidoglio, whose transformation was entrusted to Michelangelo, the arrangement on the Palatine of a large villa (Farnese gardens) . Already the entry of Charles V (1535) had provided the pretext to rethink the function of the entire archaeological area by connecting the triumphal arches of Constantine, Titus and Septimius Severus with straight tree-lined avenues, in order to restore the ancient triumphal path between the Appia Antica and the Capitoline area.The successors continued the work of extending the areas of demographic settlement, in fact with Pius V there was the urbanization of the Pantani area (a district completely destroyed in the Fascist period with the opening of Via dell’Impero); on the Colli del Pincio, Viminale, Quirinale, Esquilino, where there were vast areas used for vegetable gardens and vineyards, surrounded by large parks, sumptuous noble villas were built (Borghese, Medici, Torlonia, Massimo, just to name a few); among these green areas Gregory XIII had the Quirinal Palace built, the summer residence of the popes. In the last years of the sixteenth century, new roads were opened such as via Merulana, to connect S. Maria Maggiore to S. Giovanni, but also via Gregoriana, via Sistina, via Panisperna; in the squares (S. Pietro, S. Giovanni, del Popolo, Esquilino) ancient obelisks were placed, as if to recover the unifying and redemptive function of Christian Rome. Finally, the framework of the Renaissance city was completed, ready to welcome the subsequent Baroque urbanization of the Counter-Reformation.By the end of the 16th century, the Catholic Church had become very powerful. The immense wealth accumulated was continually flaunted together with the luxury in which the popes lived and the curia, all the more so, the continuous display of wealth by the church clashed, when compared with the living conditions of the people, miserable and continually threatened. . This was one of the reasons for the strong criticism leveled by the Protestant reform. To counter Protestantism, the church, in addition to running the Inquisition courts (in 1600 the philosopher Giordano Bruno was burned at the stake in Campo dei Fiori and in 1633 Galileo was condemned for heresy), built numerous churches, monuments and fountains in order to demonstrate with their magnificence the superiority of the popes and the Catholic Church. Among the many architet who were called to represent the power of papal Rome with their works, the greatest were Bernini and Borromini. In 1626 the basilica of St. Peter was completed, in the middle of the century Bernini redesigned Piazza Navona, placing the Fountain of the Rivers and the Moro there, while Borromini completed Sant’Agnese. But Bernini’s greatest achievement, promoted by Alexander VII (1655-67), was the imposing colonnade of St. Peter’s Square. Later, throughout the eighteenth century, architects were called upon to intervene on the urban and architectural spaces that had remained unsolved. Thus the works for the construction of the port of Ripetta, buried under the Lungotevere, were undertaken; in 1723 the steps of Trinità dei Monti were begun, starting from the “barcaccia”; in 1732 work began on the construction of the Trevi Fountain; in 1735 the facade of S. Giovanni was built and in 1743 that of S. Maria Maggiore was completed.When Rome becomes the capital of the kingdom it completely changes its face. Streets and squares are adorned with celebratory monuments, dedicated to characters from recent history. The Liberty trend is affirmed, whose greatest exponent in architecture is Ernasto Basile, to whom we owe the Parliamentary Chamber of Montecitorio. In 1911 for the International Exhibition Cesare Bazzani designed the Palace of Fine Arts, while the avant-garde groups became more active, including the Futurist one with Boccioni and Balla. Fascism accentuates the sign of monumentality in architecture: from the University City to the Eur and Foro Italico buildings. The symbol of the fusion of art and culture can be seen in the recent Renzo Piano Auditorium. With the Renaissance, Rome is renewed. Niccolò V invited wealthy families to build, erected fortifications, embellished many churches, enlarged the Vatican palace, the Pope’s residence, reopened the papal road that connected the Vatican to the Lateran. the building order: road paving, garbage disposal, closing of most of the arcades, widening of the main streets, restoration of monuments, arrangement of the neighborhoods.A large area for the market extends between the Vatican and the Campidoglio (Campo dei Fiori) near the Circo Agaiale, another large square. Crossing the Sisto bridge you arrive at the Trastevere district. The Popes of the Renaissance made Rome a unique cultural and artistic center in the world. Under the pontificate of Julius II, roads were opened, such as via Giulia and via della Lungara, churches were renovated, banks were created and by Bramante, the reconstruction of San Pietro and the Vatican Palace began.
The greatest building activity was carried out under Pope Leo X and with the popes who followed him. In 1526 the inhabitants were 55,000: the most populous districts were Ponte, Parione, Regola, Borgo and Trastevere.
The city of Rome had a halt in development following the sack of Charles V which was followed by the plague that decimated the inhabitants. This arrest was simple because Pope Gregory XII and above all Sixtus V started a modern-day regulatory plan: they developed the inhabited area of ​​free areas: the Viminale, the Esquilino, Pincio. The streets have a straight line and considerable width. Centers of the new streets are Santa Maria Maggiore, iol Laterano, Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, Trinità dei monti.Obelisks were erected in the squares and St. Peter’s Square also had its In the jubilee year 1600 Rome reached 11,000 inhabitants.During the seventeenth century the Baroque I overshadow the Renaissance with large palaces, huge churches, ingenious fountains. With Pope Urban VII the city center was enriched with Baroque palaces and churches: San Pietro with Bernini’s colonnade; Sant ‘Andrea della Valle; Sant’Agnese etc. Large squares were arranged: Piazza Colonna became one of the main centers; Piazza Navona with the Bernini fountain; Piazza di Spagna from which you will then enter the Pucio and Piazza di Trevi.The villas are very often located on the outskirts or outside the walls: Villa Borghese, Villa Labani and Villa Doria. the topographical and demographic development.At the architect Giuseppe Valadeer, the only one who carried out his activity in this period, we owe the arrangement of Piazza del Popolo, the greatest work of the ‘800. Although many works remained unfinished, it left its mark in every part of the city.