March 21

Pius VII, born Giorgio Barnaby Luigi Chiaramonti, was crowned pope on the 21st in 1800. Rome has long been the site of armed conflicts and in 1800, fighting drove the Roman Catholic leadership out of Rome, forcing them to take refuge in Venice. The Vatican leadership has never been particularly fond of allowing inconvenient things like forced exile to cramp their style. However, finding themselves in Venice and not having ready access to the accoutrements of the papacy, the Vatican did its best under some very trying circumstances. Pius’s elevation to the papacy was accomplished making use of a papal tiara made of papier-mâché. A bit tacky perhaps, but considering that the Italians of this period originated the practice of covering perfectly serviceable furniture and carpets with sheets of clear plastic, I doubt if anyone in attendance even noticed.