Burchard arrived in Rome in November 1481. He first practiced as a lawyer in the Roman Curia. He became a
Protonotary Apostolic in February 1481/82, and was appointed
Master of Ceremonies to Pope
Sixtus IV on 29 November 1483, having bought the office for 450 ducats, with the assistance of
Agostino Patrizi, whose colleague he became. He held it until his death on 16 May 1506, successively acting as
Ceremoniere to
Innocent VIII (1484–1492),
Alexander VI (1492–1503),
Pius III (1503) and during the early years of
Julius II. On the day of his election, 29 August 1484, Pope Innocent was conducted to his new apartments in the Vatican Palace by the Master of Ceremonies. Burchard took the opportunity, a completely appropriate one, to ask the new Pope for the office of Papal Chamberlain. The Pope replied that he would think about it. Burchard did not pursue the matter, and nothing was done. In 1490 Burchard was given a leave of absence to return to Strasbourg by Pope Innocent VIII, to begin on 29 June. His diary does not resume until 8 August 1491. In Rome, Burchard joined the ''Confraternity of Santa Maria dell'Anima
and quickly rose to become its provost. It was while he held the office of Praefectus fabricae'' that the decision was taken to rebuild the church of
Santa Maria dell'Anima as part of the celebration of the
Jubilee of 1500. The cornerstone was laid by Matthias Lang, the German ambassador and future cardinal, on 11 April 1500. The church was built in the style of a
Hallenkirche that was typical for Northern Europe.
Andrea Sansovino was retained as architect by the confraternity. The facade was completed by
Giuliano da Sangallo. Burchard accumulated an array of ecclesiastical benefices in Alsace, including that of the Provost of
St. Marien (Basel) (in German) (1475), and Provost of Strasbourg. He was a Canon of the
Collegiate Church of S. Thomas in Strasbourg, by papal provision, granted on 31 October 1479. He was also Provost of Basel (1484), and then Dean of
Basel (1501). Among the significant events organised by Burchard as
Ceremoniere were: the visit of Don Federigo de Aragon to Rome (December 1493 to January 1494); the coronation of
Alfonso II of Naples (May 1494); the reception of
Charles VIII of France in Rome (November 1494 to February 1495); the Papal Embassy to the
Emperor Maximilian in Milan (July–November 1496); the Proclamation of the Jubilee (Christmas 1499); the visit of Alexander VI to Piombino (January–March 1502); and obsequies of Pope Alexander VI (August 1503). Burchard was also present at the laying of the foundation stone of the new
Basilica of St. Peter on 18 April 1506. Burchard was promoted Bishop of the diocese of Orte and Cività Castellana on 3 October 1503 by Pope
Pius III, in acknowledgment of more than twenty years of service as First Master of Ceremonies. He had been promised the bishopric of Nepi and Sutri, as Pius was reminded by Cardinal Ascanio Sforza, but the new pope had already promised that diocese to Antonio de' Alberici. Orte was therefore substituted. Burchard retired in May 1504. Burchard's successor, Paris de Grassis, had already been nominated by the time of the conclave of 1503, in anticipation of Burchard's retirement. In June 1504 Burchard paid a brief visit to his new diocese, and returned again from 4 July until mid-August. He was back in Rome on 15 August for the commemoration of Pope Alexander VI, and then returned again to his diocese, until 8 October 1504. In 1505 Burchard suffered an attack of
"goutte", which kept him confined to his room. Thuasne notices that from this point the entries in his diary are less regular and without the usual historical detail as earlier. On 21 April 1506,
Pope Julius II signed the document appointing Burchard to the office of
Abbreviator de Parco Majore in the Papal Curia, for which Burchard had paid 2,400 ducats. Burchard died on Saturday evening, 16 May 1506. He was buried in the church of
Santa Maria del Popolo at the Flaminian Gate. == Historical importance ==