Marcus Chen
The Raphael Rooms in the Vatican Museums are four rooms decorated by Raphael and his assistants: the Sala di Costantino, the Stanza di Eliodoro, the Stanza della Segnatura, and the Stanza dell’Incendio del Borgo. The rooms, commissioned by Pope Julius II, are considered the artistic pinnacle of the Italian Renaissance, alongside Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel, which was painted at roughly the same time.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of rooms painted by Raphael | 4 |
| Names of the rooms | Sala di Constantino, Stanza di Eliodoro, Stanza della Segnatura, Stanza dell’incendio del Borgo |
| Other names for the rooms | Room of the Segnatura, Room of Heliodorus, Room of the Fire in the Borgo, Hall of Constantine |
| Size of the rooms | Sala di Constantino is the largest |
| Artists involved | Gianfrancesco Penni, Giulio Romano, Raffaellino del Colle |
| Theme of the paintings | Heavenly protection granted by Christ to the Church, Victory of Christianity over paganism, Fire in the Borgo |
| Important figures depicted in the paintings | Pope Leo IV, Pope Sylvester I, Pope Clement VII, Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo |
| Number of paintings in each room | 4 in the Room of Heliodorus, 3 in the Stanza della Segnatura |
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What You'll Learn
The Stanza della Segnatura
Raphael was commissioned to paint four rooms in the Vatican, now known as the Raphael Rooms. These rooms are the Sala di Costantino, the Stanza di Eliodoro, the Stanza della Segnatura, and the Stanza dell’Incendio del Borgo.
The frescoes in the Stanza della Segnatura were painted between 1508 and 1511. The room's frescoes follow a precise theological programme, articulating the importance of Truth, Good, and Beauty to humankind. Raphael's frescoes in this room include The Disputation over the Most Holy Sacrament (theology) and the School of Athens (philosophy). The room's theme is worldly and spiritual wisdom and the harmony perceived by Renaissance humanists between Christian teaching and Greek philosophy.
The Disputation of the Holy Sacrament, the first composition Raphael executed, is traditionally referred to as an Adoration of the Sacrament. The frescoes in this room differ from those in the Stanza di Eliodoro, with Raphael maximising the frescoes' expressive effects by portraying dramatic narratives with fewer, larger figures. He also used theatrical lighting effects to spotlight certain figures and heighten tension.
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The Stanza di Eliodoro
Raphael was commissioned to paint four rooms in the Vatican, known as the Raphael Rooms. One of these rooms is the Stanza di Eliodoro, or the Room of Heliodorus. The room takes its name from one of the paintings within it, The Expulsion of Heliodorus from the Temple. The painting depicts a biblical episode from II Maccabees (3:21–28) about Heliodorus, who was sent to seize treasure from the Temple in Jerusalem. However, he was stopped when the prayer of the temple priest was answered by angels who flogged him, and an angelic rider chased him from the temple. The composition is considerably more dramatic than Raphael's earlier frescoes in the Stanza della Segnatura. The focal point is the still figure of the priest at prayer, while Heliodorus and the angels rush forward into space, threatening to spill out of the painting.
The theme of the Stanza di Eliodoro, which was probably an audience room, was the heavenly protection granted by Christ to the Church. The room features four paintings: 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. In the first two frescoes, Raphael includes his patron, Pope Julius II, as a participant or observer. The third painting, created after Julius's death, includes a portrait of his successor, Leo X. Raphael's style in the Stanza di Eliodoro differs from his work in the Stanza della Segnatura. Instead of static images, he employed dramatic narratives, maximising the frescoes' expressive effects. He depicted fewer, larger figures to heighten the impact of their actions and emotions on viewers, and he used theatrical lighting to spotlight certain figures.
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The Stanza dell'Incendio del Borgo
Raphael was commissioned by Pope Julius II to paint four rooms in the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican, now known as the Raphael Rooms. One of these rooms is the Stanza dell'Incendio del Borgo, or the Room of the Fire in the Borgo. The room takes its name from one of the paintings within it, which depicts a fire in the Borgo, the neighbourhood surrounding the Vatican, in 847 AD.
In the painting, citizens are shown desperately fleeing the flames or falling to their knees in prayer. Pope Leo IV appears on the loggia of Old St. Peter's Basilica, quenching the fire with a single swipe of his benedicting hand. The painting lends itself to the interpretation of the room as representing the movement from classical philosophy to true religion and from the pre-Christian world to Christianity. The fresco is positioned opposite a wall depicting the philosophers' walk in the direction of the Holy Sacrament.
The room also contains three other paintings: the Battle of Ostia, in which the Saracens were lost in a storm at sea; the Coronation of Charlemagne by Pope Leo III on Christmas Day, 799; and the story of Pope Leo X, in which the Pope is shown with the facial features of Leo X.
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The Sala di Constantino
The frescoes in the Sala di Constantino were not started until after the deaths of both Pope Julius II, who commissioned the work, and Raphael himself. They were completed by Raphael's pupils, including Gianfrancesco Penni, Giulio Romano, and Raffaellino del Colle, with the work coordinated by Giulio Romano. By the time of his death in 1520, Raphael had only produced drawings for two walls: The Vision of the Cross and The Battle at Pons Milvius.
The frescoes in the room depict the following scenes: The Vision of the Cross, which shows a great cross appearing to Constantine as he marched to confront his rival Maxentius, with the Greek words "Εν τούτω νίκα" ("By this, conquer"), written in the sky next to it; The Battle of Milvian Bridge, which took place following Constantine's vision; The Baptism of Constantine, which shows the emperor being baptised by Pope Sylvester I in the Lateran Baptistery at Rome; and The Donation of Constantine, which depicts an event that supposedly took place shortly after Constantine's baptism and was inspired by the famous forged documents granting the Papacy sovereignty over Rome's territorial dominions.
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The rivalry between Raphael and Michelangelo
Raphael and Michelangelo, two of the most renowned artists of the Renaissance, had a rivalry that is considered one of the greatest in history. Their competition began in the early 16th century when they were both working on commissions in the Vatican.
In 1508, Pope Julius II commissioned the 26-year-old Raphael to paint frescoes in his private library, now known as the Stanza della Segnatura. Raphael won the commission despite competition from established masters such as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo himself. This was a significant blow to Michelangelo, who was already renowned for his sculptures and had been commissioned to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
Raphael's work in the Vatican, which he continued until his death in 1520, garnered him great praise and reviews that placed him above Michelangelo. An erroneous announcement by an ambassador that the Sistine Chapel was to be painted by Raphael further fuelled Michelangelo's resentment. Raphael's charming and affable personality also earned him the favour of Pope Leo X, humanists, and poets, while Michelangelo's self-imposed isolation and grumpy demeanour created tensions and affected his relationships with patrons and assistants.
Despite their rivalry, Michelangelo acknowledged Raphael's skill. When asked for his estimation of Raphael's "The Prophet Isaiah", he replied that it was worth the price for the knee alone. Raphael, too, recognised Michelangelo's talent and was influenced by his work, as seen in his inclusion of a muscular figure in "Fire in the Borgo", which has been interpreted as an homage to Michelangelo. Additionally, Raphael paid tribute to Michelangelo by portraying him as Heraclitus, also known as "the weeping philosopher", in "The School of Athens".
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Frequently asked questions
Raphael painted four rooms in the Vatican, known as the Stanze, or the Raphael Rooms.
The four rooms are: the Sala di Constantino (or Sala di Costantino), the Stanza di Eliodoro, the Stanza della Segnatura, and the Stanza dell’incendio del Borgo.
The rooms are famous for their beautifully painted frescoes, considered the pinnacle of Italian Renaissance art. The frescoes in the Stanza della Segnatura are considered by many to signal the beginning of the Golden Age of the High Renaissance.
