Monument of Pius III

1.- Pius III (from Sienna, Francesco Todeschini-Piccolomini / september 22 – October 18 1503) adopted as godson by Pius II, whom gave him his own last name and emblem. Pius III past away on October 18 of 1503 without finish not even a month of pontificate. Godfather and Godson were buried in tombs next to their mortuary monuments in the chapel of Saint Gregory the great in the old Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican. Here, in the basilica of Saint Andrew the Apostle. The monuments are on top of the arch of the lateral secondary doors. While the monuments of the two Piccolomini were transported here from Saint Peter in the years 1614-1615 beneath Paulus V, their remains instead where transported in here at 2 o’cock in the night and without the habitual parade . The were putted into coffins underneath the floor and rediscovered on 1758 when the floor were fashionable renewed, but buried once again, they weren’t founded ever again. Because of that the Sarcophagus still empty, as they always were even in the Vatican Basilica.

2.- The monument of Pius III. Reproduce the style of the monument in front, the one of Pius II, Carved the year of 1503 in the inscription set at its foot. Two angels flank the decoration, and because of that is attributed to Silvestro dell’Aquila. In the first scenery, Pius III kneeled on the left side of most holy Virgin Mary, receiving in one hand the keys by saint Peter and in the other right  st. Paulus encourage and help him. In the second scenery, the pope lies in his urn where is written: PIUS III. In the third Scenery a magnificent relief represent his coronation. The lateral niches framed with relief-decorated columns wit candelabrums and capitals, holds six statues of saints: Andrew apostle (upper left), Jacob apostle (upper right),Pius I (center left) Gregory Magnus (center right) Saint Romunaldus (lower left) and Francis of Assisi (lower right). The first epigraph bears the dedication of the monument, made by the brothers Andrew and Jacob: the second reminds the colocation of the monument in st. Andrea della Valle in 1615. In. 2000 the monument were reinforced and cleaned after the verification of the crack located in the main structure.