Statua di San Pio V

The bronze statue of Saint Pius V stands before the church bearing his name in lower Grottammare. Installed in 2006, it faces the earlier monument to Sixtus V, creating a paired commemoration of the two pontiffs.

Why it matters

Pius V's connection with Grottammare lies in his support for Felice Peretti, the town's native son who became Sixtus V. The facing statues recall the relationship between the two men rather than suggesting that both were born here.

What to notice

The composition depends on the space between the two figures. Ubaldo Ferretti's Pius V faces the 1984 Sixtus V by Aldo Sergiacomi. The nearby church gives the pair a religious architectural setting, while the pedestals distinguish the individual commemorations.

Context and history

Pius V appointed Peretti a cardinal before the latter's own papacy. Grottammare first honoured Sixtus V with the bronze of 1984 and added Pius V in 2006. Their facing arrangement echoes the tombs of the two popes in the Sistine Chapel of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, carrying that historical relationship into the town's public space.