Funerary monument of Pope Gregory XV

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Funerary monument of Pope Gregory XV and Cardinal Ludovico Ludovisi by Pierre Legros, 1719
Church of St. Ignatius
Via del Caravita
Rome, May 2019

“The huge and extravagantly ornate funerary monument of Pope Gregory XV (r. 1621-23) and his nephew Cardinal Ludovico Ludovisi (1595-1632), which stands in the church of Sant'Ignazio, was designed by the French sculptor Pierre Legros (1666-1719), and created between 1709 and 1719. The witty inscription on the monument ‘ALTER IGNATIUM ARIS ALTER ARAS IGNATIO’ reads (in translation): ‘One raised Ignatius to the altar, the other raised an altar to Ignatius.’ The 17th century church of Sant'Ignazio is dedicated to St Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556), the Spanish soldier and theologian, who founded the Society of Jesus, better known as the Jesuits. Íñigo López de Loyola was canonised by Pope Gregory XV on March 12th, 1622. The building of the church was funded by the pope's fabulously wealthy nephew, Cardinal Ludovico Ludovisi (1595-1632), whose name is prominently inscribed on the facade.” (Funerary monument of Pope Gregory XV, Walks in Rome)