It was the election of the Colonna Pope, Martin V, in 1417 that brought an end to the Western Schism. The competing popes had turned the papacy into a farce, and finally, a council persuaded all the popes to resign. When they elected Martin V, it was the first time in years that the Pope had not only been Italian, but a Roman, and a scion of the city's most powerful family. From now on, the papacy was Roman, and Rome would be the papal city. But the papacy was still vulnerable, and the city was a mess. The Pope's task now was to restore the authority of both, to make Rome the undisputed capital of Christendom. From this point on, the popes were united by a shared vision. Through the 15th and 16th centuries they embarked on a project of breathtaking scope that would turn Rome into a building site for 200 years.


1417年正是科隆纳家族所出的教皇马丁五世结束了西方教会分裂。教皇间的角逐已经让教皇之权变成一场闹剧，最终，一位教皇顾问劝服所有的教皇退位。马丁五世当选意味着这些年来第一次出现这种情况：教皇不仅是意大利人还是罗马人，他是罗马城最有权势家族的子弟。从此以后，教皇皆出自罗马，罗马是教皇之城。但是教皇仍然处于弱势，罗马城依然一片混乱。教皇此时的职责是维护教皇的权威、再现罗马的荣光，让罗马基督教之都的地位固若金汤。从这一点出发，教皇们开始因此共识而紧密团结。在15、16两个世纪之中，教皇们致力于一项壮观的项目因此在这两百年时间内罗马城变成了建筑工地。