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Which building projects did Pope Paul III sponsor on the Capitoline Hill?
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Paul III
Paul III, contemporary medallion; in the coin collection of the Vatican Library.
Following a visit to Rome by Emperor Charles V in 1536, Pope Paul III was dissatisfied with the state of the Capitoline Hill (Campidoglio) and ordered Michelangelo to design a comprehensive renovation of the site.12
The project involved a dramatic makeover of the area, which included:
- Piazza del Campidoglio: The creation of a new, trapezoid-shaped piazza featuring a paving pattern with an interlaced 12-pointed star.1
- Remodeling: The renovation of the two existing buildings on the hill, the Palazzo dei Conservatori and the Palazzo Senatorio.1
- Palazzo Nuovo: The construction of a new building, the Palazzo Nuovo, designed to thematically link the other two structures.1
This initiative is recognized as one of the earliest examples of modern town planning, effectively shifting the orientation of Romeās civic center away from the Roman Forum and toward the Vatican.31