Around 1660, during the reign of Pope Alexander VII (r. 1655-67), after the construction of the colonnade of Bernini, the first block of the "spina" between Borgo vecchio and Borgo nuovo towards St. Peter, named "isola del Priorato" after the building hosting the , was pulled down in order to create a space - the Piazza Rusticucci - which allowed the full view of Saint Peter's dome.