PIUS VI ( Braschi )

PIUS VI

(February 15, 1775 —
August 29, 1799

Pope Pius VI, portrait engraved by S. Hamerani, 1780

AE
44 mm

Obv.

PIVS • SEXTVS • | • PONT • MAX • A • VI •

Bust of the Pope, r., wrearing zucchetto, mozzetta and stole.

Rev.

OFFICINÆ • PISTORÆI • CENTVMCELLARVM •

(in exergue:) MDCCLXXX

The bakery building erected at Civitavecchia (Centumcellae) .

Mazio, 518.
Spink, 1960.

In 1779 Civitavecchia had suffered from a fire caused by a bolt of lightning. Pius assisted in the restoration, appointing the architect Navona to supervise the work. See Moroni, Dizionario di erudizione storico-ecclesiastica Volume 13 (Venezia 1842) 310, and Volume 53 (Venezia 1851) p. 93.

Pope Pius VI, portrait engraved by S. Hamerani

AE
44 mm

Obv.

PROVIDENTIA • PII • VI • PONT • MAX •

Bust of the Pope, r., wrearing zucchetto, mozzetta and stole.

The house for impoverished girls at Fabriano

Rev.

GYNECÆVM • PVPILLARVM • FABRIANI • EXCITATVM

(in exergue:) MDCCLXXXVII

The building erected at Fabriano to shelter young girls.

Mazio, 527.
Spink, 1972.

This is a companion piece to Mazio 519, celebrating the erection of a school for boys at Foligno. in 1781.

Pope Pius VI, portrait engraved by G. Hamerani, 1783

Obv.

PIVS•SEXTVS • PONT• | MAX • AN • IX•

Bust of the Pope, l., wrearing zucchetto, mozzetta and stole.

The River Anio, made navigable by order of Pius VI in 1792

Rev.

(in exergue:) SACRARIVM • BASIL • VATICANAE | A • FVNDAMENTIS • EXSTRVCTVM | AN • MDCCLXXXIII

The new sacristy of St. Peter's Basilica, the work of Carlo Marchionni, using marbles plundered from Hadrian's Villa at Tivoli.

Mazio, 523.
Spink, 1968.

Montor, Volume VIII, p. 101 and 128. The cornerstone was laid on September 22, 1776

Pope Pius VI, portrait engraved by G. Hamerani

Obv.

PIVS•SEXTVS P• M | A • SACR(i) • PRINCIP(is) • XIV•

(beneath bust:) G •HAM•F

Bust of the Pope, r., wrearing zucchetto, mozzetta and stole.

Rev.

VIA • ALBAN • VELIT • AP(pia) • AD • POMPT • RESTIT(uta)

(in exergue:) MDCCLXXXVIII

Female figure of the Via Appia, reclining against a milestone, her left hand upon a wheel, a cornucopia in her right.

Mazio, 529.
Spink, 1977.

One of Pius VI's great (and ruinously expensive) projects was the draining of the Pomptine Marshes. Work on the Via Appia in the neighborhood of the drainage works gave access to the new rich agricultural land, which was to be developed (by Pius' relatives to their own gain). G. Moroni, Dizionario di erudizione storico-ecclesiastica Volume 70 (Venezia 1854) 142.

Obv.

PIVS•SEXTVS | PONT• M • A•XVIII•

(beneath bust:) G •HAM•F

Bust of the Pope, r., wrearing zucchetto, mozzetta and stole.

Rev.

ANIENE • NAVICLARIIS•PATERE•IVSSO

(in exergue:) MDCCXCII

The River Anio (Aniene), nude and bearded, crowned, reclining against a jar from which the waters flow amidst the rushes, holding a rudder in his left hand. Behind at right, atop a series of hills, the Temple at Tivoli.

Mazio, 532.
Spink, 1986.

A cast.

Obv.

PIVS•SEXTVS | PONT• M • A•XXI•

(beneath bust:) G •HAM•F

Bust of the Pope, r., wrearing zucchetto, mozzetta and stole.

Rev.

CLERO GALLIA PVLSO |
HOSPIT ET ALIMENT PRÆDITA

The Pope, seated on throne at left, receiving French clergy who went into exile in 1792 after refusing the oath to the Civil Constitution of the Clergy.

Mazio, 536.
Spink, 1992.

F. Artaud de Montor, Histoire des Souverains Pontifes romains VIII (Paris 1851), 229ff.; and for the medal, 425-426. Pii VI Pont. Max. acta quibus Ecclesiae Catholicae calamitatibus in Gallia consultum est (Roma: SC de propaganda fide 1871) 1-9. G. Moroni, Dizionario di erudizione storico-ecclesiastica Vol. 53 (Venezia 1851) 97-98.

01/18/2007, 05/24/2007, 01/10/2008