Maria Flaminia Odescalchi Chigi

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Monument of Maria Flaminia Odescalchi Chigi, 1772
Santa Maria del Popolo
Piazza del Popolo
Rome, May 2019

“In 1771 Paolo Posi was asked to design the tomb of Maria Federica Odescalchi Chigi: the Chigi had already a family chapel (designed by Raphael and completed by Bernini) in S. Maria del Popolo, but Posi felt that the severe atmosphere of the chapel was not the proper setting for the tomb he had in mind, so he put it outside the chapel in the nave. Maria Flaminia Odescalchi was the young wife of Ferdinando Chigi. She died at the age of 20, giving birth to her third child. Chigi and Odescalchi had both a pope in their past and quite important ones (Alexander VII Chigi - Innocent XI Odescalchi) and they both had complex coats of arms. Here below the coat of arms of Alexander VII in St Peter's square and the coat of arms of Innocent XI over his tomb in St Peter's. The tomb designed by Posi is far more a celebration of the heraldic symbols of the two families, than a compassionate tribute to a young woman. The bizarre assemblage of subjects has a rationale: each subject with the exception of the two angels is an element of the coat of arms of the two families. The little monument clearly shows the influence of Bernini (in particular Bernini's monument to Maria Raggi in S. Maria sopra Minerva and the two gigantic coats of arms of Alexander VII over the organ in S. Maria del Popolo, with oak branches and leaves coming out the pipes) and the experience gained by Posi in designing ephemeral machines. In the lower part of the monument a lion (Odescalchi) is climbing a mountain (Chigi); to the right of the mountain one can see an incense burner (Odescalchi) and even the twists of the smoke.” (The Last Baroque Tomb, Rome Art Lover)