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How did Pope Nicholas V’s building projects damage ancient Roman monuments?

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Montúfar, Antonio: Saint Francis of Assisi Appearing Before Pope Nicholas V, with Donors — Nicholas V *Saint Francis of Assisi Appearing Before Pope Nicholas V, with Donors*, oil on canvas by Antonio Montúfar, 1628; in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. 107.95 × 87.63 cm.

Pope Nicholas V initiated an ambitious program to rebuild and beautify Rome, aiming to establish the city as a worthy center of Christianity. However, his architectural projects caused significant damage to the city’s ancient heritage.1

To secure the necessary materials for his new constructions—such as the reconstruction of the Vatican palace and the restoration of structures like the senatorial palace on the Capitoline Hill—Nicholas V pillaged ancient monuments, using them as quarries. During this period, the monuments of ancient Rome were frequently torn apart for their building materials, and their marble was often sent to lime kilns rather than being repurposed for new architecture.12