Raphael Rooms, Rome

Raphael Rooms, Rome

The Raphael Rooms are a suite of 4 reception rooms in the public part of the papal apartments in the Palace of the Vatican.

The Raphael Rooms are a suite of 4 reception rooms in the public part of the papal apartments in the Palace of the Vatican. They are famous for their magnificent High Renaissance frescoes painted by Raphael and his school. From east to west, the rooms are sequenced as follows-

• Sala di Costantino or Hall of Constantine – Painted by Raphael's workshop after his death, the room was intended to be used for receptions and official ceremonies. It is dedicated to the victory of Christianity over paganism. Its frescoes depicts events from the life of the Roman Emperor Constantine, such as 'The Vision of the Cross' where a cross appeared to him in the sky, 'The Battle of Milvian Bridge', 'The Baptism of Constantine', and 'The Donation of Constantine' in which he granted sovereignty to the church.
• Stanza di Eliodoro or Room of Heliodorus – This room was designed for the Pope's private audience. It is themed around the miraculous protection extended by Christ to the Church, and features frescoes depicting events from the Old Testament to medieval history. The four paintings are 'The Expulsion of Heliodorus from the Temple', 'The Mass at Bolsena', 'The Meeting of Pope Leo I and Attila', and 'The Deliverance of Saint Peter from Prison'.
• Stanza della Segnatura or Room of the Segnatura - Originally set up as a library and private office for Pope Julius II, the room is named after the highest court of the Holy See, the 'Segnatura Gratiae et Iustitiae' which was presided over by the pontiff and met here in the middle of the 16th century. It features Raphael's most famous frescoes – 'Disputation of the Holy Sacrament, 'The School of Athens', 'The Parnassus', and 'The Cardinal Virtues'.
• Stanza dell'Incendio del Borgo or Room of the Fire in the Borgo – Decorated as a music room for Leo X, it is named after the fresco depicting Pope Leo IV making the sign of the cross to extinguish a fire in the Borgo district of Rome near the Vatican. The frescos depict events from the lives of Popes Leo III and Leo IV – 'The Oath of Leo III', 'The Coronation of Charlemagne by Leo III', and 'The Battle of Ostia' which shows the naval victory of Leo IV over the Saracens at Ostia in 849.