Processie van paus Innocentius XI naar Sint-Jan van Lateranen 1650 - 1691

Giovanni Battista Falda made this print of the Procession of Pope Innocent XI to St. John Lateran, likely in Rome, sometime around 1680. It presents a bird’s-eye view of a vast cavalcade winding its way through the city’s streets. Papal processions were elaborate displays of power, carefully orchestrated to impress upon the public the authority and grandeur of the Catholic Church. Falda's print meticulously documents the social hierarchy of Rome at the time, with each rank of clergy and nobility clearly delineated. The architecture of the city itself becomes a stage for the enactment of papal authority. Prints like these had an important public role. They functioned as propaganda, reinforcing the Church's dominance during a period of religious and political upheaval. For historians, images like this are invaluable. They provide insights into the social structures, power dynamics, and institutional practices of the time. We can use archival records, diaries, and other visual sources to reconstruct the world that produced this image and to understand its intended impact.