Page 242 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Rome

240  ROME AREA B Y AREA

Raphael Rooms
Pope Julius II’s private apartments were built above those of
his hated predecessor, Alexander VI, one of the Borgias, who
died in 1503. Julius was impressed with Raphael’s work, and
chose him to redecorate the four rooms (stanze). Raphael Cortile del
Belvedere
and his pupils began the task in 1508, replacing existing
works by several better-
known artists, including
Raphael’s own teacher,
Perugino. The work took
over 16 years and Raphael
himself died before its
completion. The frescoes
express the religious and
philosophical ideals of the Key to Floorplan
Renaissance. They quickly 1 Hall of Constantine
established Raphael’s 2 Room of Heliodorus
reputation as an artist in 3 Room of the Segnatura
Rome, putting him on a par 4 Room of The Fire in the Borgo
with Michelangelo, then
Detail from The Expulsion of Heliodorus from working on the ceiling of
the Temple, showing Pope Julius II watching the Sistine Chapel. he tries to make off with the
the scene from his litter treasure from the Temple of
Jerusalem. The scene is
1 Hall of Constantine 2 Room of Heliodorus witnessed by the pope, borne on
a litter by courtiers. The incident
The frescoes in this room This private antechamber was is also a thinly veiled reference
were started in 1517, three decorated by Raphael between to Julius II’s success in driving
years before Raphael’s death, 1512 and 1514. The main foreign armies out of Italy. In The
but Raphael himself probably frescoes show the miraculous Meeting of Leo I and Attila Raphael
had little hand in their protection granted to all the pays a similar compliment to
execution. As a result they are Church’s ministers, doctrines, the pope’s political skill. Pope Leo
not held in the same high and property. The was originally given
regard as those in the other room’s name refers the face of Julius II,
rooms. The work was to the fresco on the but after his death,
completed in 1525 in the right, The Expulsion Raphael substituted
reign of Pope Clement VII by of Heliodorus from the the features of Julius’s
Giulio Romano, and two other Temple. This shows successor, Leo X.
former pupils of Raphael, a story from Jewish The Mass at Bolsena
Giovanni Francesco Penni, and history, in which depicts a miracle
Raffaellino del Colle. a thief called Swiss guards waiting with that occurred in
The theme of the decoration Heliodorus is felled papal chair in The Mass 1263. A priest who
is the triumph of Christianity by a horseman as at Bolsena doubted that the
over paganism. The four
major frescoes show
scenes from the life of
Constantine, and include
his Vision of the Cross, and
his victory over his rival
Maxentius at The Battle
of the Milvian Bridge,
for which Raphael had
provided a preparatory
sketch. In both The
Baptism of Constantine
and The Donation of
Constantine, the figure of
Pope Sylvester (see p172)
was given the features
of Clement VII. The Battle of the Milvian Bridge, completed by one of Raphael’s assistants

US_240-241_EW_Rome_US.indd 240 15/03/17 4:21 pm
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Flashmap follow-on template “UK” LAYER
(Source v1.3)
Date 18th October 2012
Size 125mm x 217mm