Assembly of the Clergy in St Peter’s Basilica on the Occasion of the Canonization of Several Saints by Clemens XI

The engraving depicts the canonization of four saints. Andrew Avellion, Catherine of Bologna, Felix of Cantalice and Pius V were canonized by Pope Clemens XI on May 22, 1712. The scene capturing the Pope surrounded by the curia was placed in the crossing of St Peter’s Basilica. To simplify the scene, the engraver did not depict Bernini’s baldacchino that had been erected over the papal altarpiece in 1633, but just suggested its existence by outlining the ground plan of its columns. Although they were Protestant, the text’s authors paid considerable attention to the Catholic rites, not only depicting scenes from the papal court and liturgical ceremonies, but also from the trials of the Inquisition.