Pope Alexander VII - New York City, NY - Statues of Historic Figures on Waymarking.com

This life-sized bronze bust of Pope Alexander VII is by Melchiorre Cafa. It is dated 1667 and was cast at the Vatican foundry.
The work depicts the Pope down to mid torso wearing his papal vestments, a small cap and a beard.

Wikipedia (visit link) adds:

"Pope Alexander VII (13 February 1599 – 22 May 1667), born Fabio Chigi, was Pope from 7 April 1655 to his death in 1667.

Early life

Born in Siena, a member of the illustrious banking family of Chigi and a great-nephew of Pope Paul V (1605–1621),[3] he was privately tutored and eventually received doctorates of philosophy, law, and theology from the University of Siena.

Papal legate and Secretary of State
In 1627 he began his apprenticeship as vice-papal legate at Ferrara, and on recommendations from two cardinals he was appointed successively Inquisitor of Malta[4] and nuncio in Cologne (1639–1651). There, he supported Urban VIII's condemnation of Jansenius' Augustinus by the papal bull In eminenti of 1642.

Though expected to take part in the negotiations which led in 1648 to the Peace of Westphalia, he declined to deliberate with persons whom the Catholic Church considered heretics, and protested, when it was finally completed, against the Treaty of Westphalia[5] that ended the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) and established the balance of European power that lasted until the wars of the French Revolution (1789).

Pope Innocent X (1644–1655) recalled Chigi to Rome and subsequently made him Cardinal Secretary of State and Cardinal-Priest of Santa Maria del Popolo.

Election as Pope

When Innocent X died, Chigi, the candidate favoured by Spain, was elected pope after eighty days in the conclave, on 7 April 1655, taking the name of Alexander VII."

URL of the statue: Not listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   07/24/2013 Metro2 visited it