Key and Sword

The "Key and the Sword," a mixture of biography, historical facts, and fiction, tells in a fascinating way about the life and deeds of Pope Sixtus V. Pope Sixtus V (1521 - 1590, also known as Cardinal Montalto) was the head of the Catholic Church and the ruler of the Papal States from 1585 to 1590. Sixtus was a significant figure in the Counter-Reformation. He excommunicated Queen Elizabeth I of England and King Henry IV of France. From the first months of his pontificate, Sixtus V vigorously eradicated corruption and lawlessness throughout Rome and began a program of urban reconstruction. Rome was adorned with new buildings; streets and squares were put in order; four fountains were erected on the Quirinal. In front of the main cathedrals, the pope ordered the erection of obelisks brought from Egypt during the time of Ancient Rome and lying abandoned among the ruins of the imperial palaces; the construction of the dome of St. Peter's Cathedral was completed. On the positive side, Sixtus was open to big ideas; and this often led to success. On the negative side, he could be impulsive, stubborn, harsh, and authoritarian. When Sixtus V lay on his deathbed, his subjects hated him, but history recognized him as one of the most prominent popes.