524 Outlines of European History Rome, the capital of the papacy During the same period in which Venice and Florence became leaders in wealth and refinement, Rome, the capital of the popes, likewise underwent a great change. After the popes returned from their jeventyjears' resi- dence in France and Avignon (see "above, p. 493) they found the town in a dilapidated state. For years they were able to do little to restore it, as there was a long period during which the papacy was weakened by the exist- ence of a rival line of popes who continued to live at Avignon. When the " great schism " was over, and all the Euro- pean nations once more acknowledged the pope at Rome (141 7), it be- came possible to improve the city and revive some of its ancient glory. Architects, painters, and men of letters were called in and handsomely paid by the popes to erect and adorn magnificent build- ings and to collect a great library in the Vati- can palace. Fig. 196. Cathedral and Bell Tower at Florence The church was begun in 1 296 and com- pleted in 1436. The great dome built by the architect Brunelleschi has made his name famous. It is 300 feet high. The fa9ade is modern but after an old design. The bell tower, or campanile, was begun by the celebrated painter Giotto about 1335 and completed about fifty years later. It is richly adorned with sculpture and colored marbles and is considered the finest structure of the kind in the world
