Catafalque for Pope Clement X; central structure at the top of a fifteen step platform, with columns surmounted by candelabra at each of the four corners 1676

This etching by Giovanni Battista Falda, dated 1676, is a depiction of the catafalque erected in the Basilica of St. Peter's in Rome to commemorate the death of Pope Clement X. The structure, a multi-tiered platform topped with a central monument, is adorned with ornate columns surmounted by towering candelabra, emphasizing the grandeur of the occasion. The detailed illustration captures the visual splendor of the Baroque era and highlights the importance of such elaborate funeral displays in 17th-century Rome. The etching is now part of the collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.