Vatican Museums

The qualities of this figure, which is attributed to Botticelli, make it stand out with respect to a certain overall monotony. Sixtus II (pontiff from 257 to 258) was elected during the persecution ordered by the Roman Emperor Valerianus and was executed after only one year of pontificate. He nevertheless managed to perform an important operation of pacification between the churches of Rome and Carthage which were divided over the question of whether or not it was opportune to rebaptize heretics.