These opinions can further be supplemented by another that stated, that he was characterized by „stiff eminence”, and that – as the Venetian ambassador claimed – “ [he] spoke seldom and wisely”. He attained the papal throne, thanks to the endeavors of his sister-in-law Olimpia Maidalchini, who was not only is trusted advisor and lover (as was claimed), but also an ingenious strategist, who in a game between pro-Spanish and pro-French factions, paved the way to glory for her favorite. Reportedly, an ally of the French court after the election of the cardinal as pope sent a letter to Paris, in which the following words were found: “Gentlemen, we have just elected a female pope.” And while this woman who accompanied the pope until her death, was thought of as corrupt and greedy in collecting the pope’s money, the Holy Father himself, who took on the name Innocent X, was considered a humble and uncorrupt individual.

When the cannon shots at the Castle of the Holy Angel (Castel Sant’Angelo) were fired, and the news of the election of the new pope reached the artist community, it was not pleased – after a period of a twenty-year prosperity, during the time of Urban VIII, when it was possible to find profitable commissions, the pontificate of Innocent did not appear promising. Pamphilj was not known for his artistic interests, he did not possess a collection of works of art, was not an enthusiast of modern art. However,…in the time of merely ten years of his rule he left behind exceptional buildings, sculptures and one masterpiece of painting.

Due to the Jubilee Year which would come in 1650, Innocent initiated a far-reaching modernization of the decrepit Basilica of St. John in Lateran (San Giovanni in Laterano) and it is thanks to him, that the early-Christian structure was not completely reconstructed, as was the case with St. Peter’s Basilica (San Pietro in Vaticano). The task of modernization and decoration in a new style was given to Francesco Borromini, who while he was not satisfied with such a modest role, dreaming of his own vision of the church, nevertheless exhibited talent and created and interior still reminiscent of the old Constantine vision, while enriching it with new Baroque elements.

In the Jubilee Year, 700 thousand pilgrims came to Rome, who in order to be granted an indulgence, should during their stay in the Eternal City visit the four most important basilicas – St. Peter, St. Paul Outside the Walls (San Paolo fuori le mura), St. Mary Major (Santa Maria Maggiore) and St. John in the Lateran. They were to do it fifteen times, while inhabitants of Rome had to perform this act thirty times. Celebrations of the Jubilee Year also provided the opportunity for Olimpia to shine, as she reigned supreme among the refined Roman ladies, ambassadors, dukes, and cardinals. With equal fascination pilgrims looked upon the pope and his famous sister-in-law, who was nothing like a fame fatale seicento – she was an elderly, corpulent, short woman of little beauty.

Even before Innocent’s death, Olimpia had removed all the valuable items from the pope’s residence – tapestries, furniture, silverware. At the behest of the semi-conscious Holy Father, chests of gold were brought from the papal treasury, which the sister-in-law hid under the bed of the dying pope and gradually in sacks transported to her own residence. Porters carrying her litter told stories how they first carried Olimpia to the pope and would later return with a very heavy Olimpia. Innocent’s secretary, the latter Pope Alexander VII, described the situation in the chamber of the dying Bishop of Rome in the following way: “(…)the palace was so empty, that it lacked even a bowl or a spoon to feed him with a bit of soup, and it was necessary to send servants to buy a bowl with a spoon. The pope was covered with a disgusting blanket, which is usually given to the poor in hospitals. He was left with only the shirt upon his back, all other clothes had vanished. A lone candle burned in a brass candlestick, which also soon disappeared and was replaced with a wooden one.”

When the bells announcing the pope’s death were heard, Olimpia had barricaded herself in her palace at Piazza Navona (Palazzo Pamphilj), fearing the reaction of the crowds.

At that time the body of Innocent lay ready for a funeral in St. Peter’s Basilica after a ceremonial mass. However, it turned out, that there were no coffins in the church. It was customary for the family, as the deceased’s greatest beneficiary to prepare them (usually two – made of mahogany and bronze), but this time, it did not happen. First summons were sent to Olimpia – who replied, that she could not afford such an expense, since she is a “poor widow”; a similar response was given by the pope’s nephew Camillo Pamphilj, sending the messengers back to his mother. Once again Olimpia was asked to provide money, but once again this proved unsuccessful, as did subsequent visits to Camillo and other family members. Six days after his death, the pope still lay, however not in front of the faithful but in a storeroom. As was described by cardinal Pallavicino, the pope’s corpse was placed in a “disgusting cubbyhole, where it suffered from animals and humidity, since nobody had wanted to pay for the burial. Here is a great lesson for popes, who believe that they can expect proof of devotion from relatives, for whom they compromise their conscience and honor.”

In order to put an end to this rather problematic situation, the papal majordomo bought a simple wooden coffin with his own funds and for five scudos he ordered the undertakers to take the pope’s body to the catacombs and place it in an unmarked grave.

However, in time the Pamphilj family came to understand what a great treasure it had been to have a pope in the family – Camillo and later his descendants undertook the difficult task of completing the Basilica of Sant’Agnese in Agone, where today we can admire the sarcophagus of Innocent X and see his marble figure captured in a gesture of greeting.

However, the pope was truly made famous by the painting of Diego Velázquez Portrait of Pope Innocent X, and later by a series of paintings by the English painter Francis Bacon, created a few centuries later, of which one hangs in the Vatican Pinacoteca.

Structures created with the support of Pope Innocent X:

Buildings:

• Further embellishment of the Basilica of San Pietro in Vaticano, especially the main nave: a new floor was laid, the pilasters of the main nave were decorated with cherubs holding medallions with the images of 38 popes (each pilaster was adorned with a dove holding an olive branch – the coat of arms of the Pamphilj family)
• Modernization of the Basilica San Giovanni in Lateran (1645-1650) thanks to the ingenious design of Francesco Borromini
• The construction of Palazzo Pamphilj at Piazza Navona
• Start of the construction of the Church of Sant’Agnese in Agone at Piazza Navona
• At the pope’s initiative the Carceri Nuovi Prison was created, characterized by a humanitarian method of prisoner detention

Sculptures and monuments:

• Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi at Piazza Navona
• Altar of St. Leo I (1653) in St. Peter’s Basilica (Alessandro Algardi) –a innovative marble relief

Paintings:

• Painting decorations – Pietro da Cortona’s Story of Aeneas – in Palazzo Pamphilj at Piazza Navona