The earliest examples were made by trimming large blocks that had been used in ancient Roman roads, recently discovered in fifteenth- and sixteenth-century archaeological excavations. The first documented use in Rome of "sampietrini" stones was during the reign of Pope Pius V (1566-72). Over the next two centuries the stones were used to pave all the main streets of Rome, because this mode was superior to brick, for example by providing a smoother and stronger surface for carriages, among other reasons.