Location in St Peter's
 

Monument to Pius VIII
(Mar 31, 1829 - Nov 30, 1830) Francesco Castiglioni
by Pietro Tenerani, 1866
  

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Pope Pius VIII

 

The Pope is show kneeling, accompanied by a statue of Christ enthroned, with statues of Sts. Peter and Paul. The allegories are Prudence and Justice.

He was imprisoned in 1808 during the French domination of Italy for refusing to take the oath of allegiance to Napoleon.

He approved the decrees of the Council of Baltimore (October 1829), the first formal meeting of US bishops.

Under the monument is a door leading to the Sacristy and Treasury Museum. In this passage is a list of all the popes buried in St. Peter's. In front of the monument is a mass schedule for the basilica.


St. Peter's - Guide to the Basilica and Square

The Monument to Pius VIII (1829-1830), by Pietro Tenerani (1789-1869), is in the Neoclassical style. The Pontiff is kneeling; above him is the statue of Christ enthroned, and below, are the statues of Sts. Peter and Paul. On the base are the allegorical figures of Prudence and Justice.

St. Peter's Basilica - A Virtual Tour
On the opposite side above the entrance to the Sacristy and the Treasury is the monumental Tomb of Pius VIII, created in 1866 by P. Tenerani. It is a work which has an essential line and a formal simplicity, but its predominant overall effect is one of excessive coldness, despite the noble intentions of the sculptor to combine a classical style with sincere Christian sentiment, following the examples of Canova and Nazareni.

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On 25 March, 1830, Pius published the Brief "Litteris altero abhinc", in which he declared that marriage could be blessed by the Church only when the proper promises were made regarding the Catholic education of the children; otherwise, the parish priest should only assist passively at the ceremony.

He was extremely conscientious. Thus, he ordered all his relatives, upon his accession to the pontifical throne, to resign the positions which they held.