The history of the popes, from the close of the middle ages : drawn ...

122 HISTORY OF THE POPES.
tion of a house for converted Jews near the church of the
SS. Annunziata in the ruins of the Forum of Augustus,^ the
conversion of the monastery of S. Basiho into a place of
instruction for catechumens, the restoration of various
churches and monasteries, ^ and lastly the continuation of
the new building of St. Peter's.^
Pius V. rendered great service to the completion of the
basihca of the Prince of the Apostles by devoting large sums
of money to it.* The difficult question of the vaulting of
the dome, which had already been a matter of anxiety to his
predecessor, especially preoccupied him.^ This matter,
together with others connected with the building, was discussed
in the spring of 1567, when, as the result of the pressing and
repeated invitation of the Pope, Giorgio Vasari came to Rome,
where he was given lodgings in the Vatican close to the Pope's
^ See NiBBY, I., 100 ; Angeli, Chiese, 49 ; Lanciani, IV., 25.
On the gate of the convent (Via di Tor de' Conti, n. 1) may still
be seen the inscription " Pius V. Pont. Max." ; the coat of arms
which was above it has been destroyed.
* See Armellini, 215,375 ; ibid, 298 seq. the assignment of
S. Maria Egiziaca to the Armenians. Cf. Lanciani, IV., 12.
Payments for the restoration of S. Sabina in the *Terzo libro d.
Deposit, d. v. Cam. Apost. 1568, State Archives, Rome. On the
two side entrances, now waUed up (facing the Via de'Penitenzieri)
of S. Spirito in Sassia may be read the name " Pius V. P.M.'' : on
the facade of the church of the Minerva his arms may be seen.
On May 15, 1568, Arco reports : *on Monday the Pope went to
S. Sabina and ordered that the ruined church of the Priory on the
Aventine be restored ; on June 19, 1568, he reports : *the heirs
of Cardinal Salviati were ordered to pay 3,000 scudi, as Pius V.
wished " sgravar I'anima del cardinale con far riparare la chiesa
del priorato alia quale non haveva mai fatto beneficio alcuno "
(State Archives, Vienna), the arms of Pius V. on the Torre di
S. Andrea at Orvieto also undoubtedly tell of some work of
restoration.
' Cf. App. n. 66.
* S-e Laderchi, 1569, n. 50 ; cf. J.
C. Vespignani, Compend.
privileg. fabricae S. Petri, Rome, 1676, 6 seqq., 17 seq.
^ Cf. Jahrbiich der Preuss. Kunstsamml., XXXIII., 152 seq.