What an interesting
thread! Stlnats informed me of the friendly discussion over here and I figured I'd join in. It's great to see some other collectors of papal material, and I look forward to viewing the coins and medals posted and contributing where possible.
I personally collect
papal medals of the Renaissance and Baroque eras, which I define to cover the popes from Nicholas V through Clement
XII (1455-1740). To start, I'll share one of my favorite medals:
Gilt Bronze, 56.5 mm Ø, 52.3 gObverse: Bust of Julius II facing right, bareheaded and wearing a cope decorated with arabesques and icons. Around,
IVLIVS · LIGVR · PAPA · SECVNDVS · MCCCCCVI ("Julius II, Ligurian, Pope, 1506").
Reverse: A shepherd, seated on a
stone under an oak tree, pointing
his flock of
sheep towards a path leading to a gateway to an enclosure on a mountain. Around, PEDO SERVATAS OVES AD REQVIEM AGO ("The
sheep that were preserved by the staff I lead to their repose").
Cast medal by Caradosso Foppa commemorating the foundation ceremony for the new St. Peter's
Basilica. This is a sister
medal to the more famous version showing Bramante's design for the new
basilica.
Modesti suggests that the version showing the building was created to serve as the foundation
medal, while this version with an allegorical representation was intended to be distributed in commemoration of the laying of the first
stone. The
reverse illustration can be viewed as the Pope (represented by the shepherd) indicating to the faithful (the
sheep) the new erection of the
basilica on the
Vatican Hill. The staff referred to in the
reverse inscription takes on the dual meaning of a shepherd's staff and a pastoral staff. That the shepherd represents the Pope is further reinforced by the oak tree under which he sits, which is a symbol of the della Rovere family of which Julius (born Giuliano della Rovere) was from. The
Italian word "rovere" literally means "oak tree".
Julius II undertook to rebuild the original St. Peter's
Basilica which
had been erected by the emperor
Constantine. Ideas
had been considered during the pontificate of Nicholas V for renovating the original structure, which
had fallen into ruinous shape, but Julius decided to entirely demolish it and build a new
basilica. The design and construction was entrusted to the architect Donato Bramante, who drew plans for a Greek
style (square)
church topped by a large dome. The first
stone was laid by Julius during a ceremony on April 18, 1506. Construction on the
basilica would proceed for over a century, passing through the
hands of many architects and popes. In the end, the final
basilica retains virtually nothing of Bramante's original design.
References: C.N.O.R.P. 188;
Toderi-Vannel 11; Venuti XVII