Thanks to the Avignon Papacy and the Western Schism in the 14th century, the absence of the popes in Rome left the city neglected, with dilapidated churches and buildings. As a result, cultural patronage in the early years of the Renaissance played an essential role in bolstering the prestige of the papacy, with numerous popes becoming patrons of architecture, art and literature.
Although patronage was used to restore papal power, the popes usually sponsored personal projects of their own, which demonstrated their power and helped to cement their individual legacies. In turn, this provided steady work that allowed several Renaissance artists to flourish during this period.