 The Chigi Pope Alexander VII lived for long periods in Ariccia and drastically changed its character, with important contributions from the prominent Baroque sculptor and architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini, designer of the piazza of St Peter's Basilica in Rome.Among Bernini's rich contributions to the character of the town were the piazza and the Collegiata di Santa Maria Assunta which faces the palazzo.In 1854 Pope Pius IX ordered the construction of a bridge.