Pamphilj and the Arts

In September 1644 the election of Giovanni Battista Pamphilj as Pope Innocent X catapulted his family to the height of Roman society. From that moment on, the Pamphilj family became active patrons of the arts, which were harnessed as the visual expression of the family's new identity. This volume presents the proceedings of the conference "Pamphilj and the Arts: Patronage and Consumption in Baroque Rome," which was held at Boston College in October 2010. Set within the social, religious, and cultural context of Rome, this research examines from the perspectives of art history, history, theology, musicology, and literary studies the patronage of three generations of the family: Innocent X; Prince Camillo Pamphilj and his wife, Princess Olimpia Aldobrandini; and, Cardinal Benedetto Pamphilj. The papers consider, in particular, the life, character, and influential role of Cardinal Benedetto Pamphilj in shaping the visual arts, music, and literature of late Baroque Rome from his elevation as cardinal in 1681 to his death in 1730.