Stanzas of Raphael
The Raphael Stanzas are four rooms located one after the other, which are part of the palace complex located in the Vatican. They are famous in the history of art for the fact that they were frescoed by the outstanding Renaissance artist Raphael Santi together with his students. The building was built during the reign of Pope Nicholas V (1447-1455).
History of origin
In the 15th century, the rooms of the "Raphael Stanza" were erected by order of Pope Nicholas the Fifth. After his death, Julius II ascended to the throne of the pope. Dad was an ardent fan of architecture, so global restructuring began under his leadership. By his order, the Belvedere courtyard was built, around which transitional galleries began to be built, which later turned into Raphael's Stanzas.
In 1508, the pope commissioned a young artist, Raphael Santi, to paint the walls. At that time, Italy was experiencing an era of enlightened humanism, which was reflected in the works of Raphael. Napoleon also managed to visit this complex. Despite his young age, Raphael impressed the pope so much with the quality of his work that he entrusted him with the painting of other Vatican buildings.
Architectural features
The most popular station is the Stanza della Segnatura, which took Raphael several years to complete. In general, the painting of this room is devoted to the spiritual themes and philosophy of that time. The frescoes that adorn this room embody several phenomena - philosophy, literature, faith in spiritual forces, as well as faith in order and law. If you translate the name of the room from Italian into Russian, it will turn out like this - "a room for making signatures." Therefore, the Pope performed important legal actions in the room, including signing various documents.
The scale of the attraction of the Raphael Stanza
Stanza Deliodoro is the second largest room designed by Raphael. The painting of the room itself is also devoted to spiritual themes. Of interest are two murals - "The Resurrection of Peter" and "Mass in Bolsena", which have retained their original appearance.
The third stanza is the Stanza del Incendio di Borgo, which the artist worked on for two grueling years. The painting in this room is dedicated to a fire that suddenly broke out and engulfed the streets adjacent to the papal palace. According to legend, Leo the Fourth (Pope) was able to save the townspeople by stopping the fire with his unique cross. In addition to the fire, this room represents various acts of the Pope. The last of the attractions of the Raphael Stanza is dedicated to Emperor Constantine and his struggle against atheists. There are many frescoes dedicated to battles with pagans, as well as baptismal rites, which were held quite often at that time.
The Raphael stanzas are architecturally interesting structures that have shown us the genius of their author. When visiting the Vatican, you should definitely visit this beautiful place.
