Raphael's Stants in the Vatican Museum

The residence of the Pope, continuing the Vatican Temple, consists of various premises, which number more than a thousand. The Apostolic Palace (Residenza Papale) is famous for its richly decorated rooms, which hold the great treasures of a small state.

Perhaps the most famous are those where original masterpieces are located - the Sistine Chapel with frescoes made by Michelangelo himself, and the Raffaello staves named after the standard of fine art of the Renaissance. The Vatican in this period fought for both spiritual power and secular, and all the works of the Renaissance were to strengthen the authority of the Catholic Church and its head.

The most visited place by tourists is four rooms, painted by a great master. Stanze di Raffaello, located one after another in the old part of the palace, cause admiration of tourists with harmonious beauty and deep meaning.

Residence for a new dad

When Pope Julius II ascended the throne, he did not want to live in the apartments occupied by the previous supreme ruler, but chose a cozy room in the old palace. The head of the Vatican dreamed of turning his residence into a real work of art and in 1503 invited the best Italian artists to paint the interiors of his office with frescoes.

True, the work did not please Yulia II, and he ordered with annoyance to wash away the creations of the masters. Five years later, the project manager, the architect Bramante, showed the father sketches of the young painter Raphael, who brought him to full delight. The Pontiff summoned from Florence a 25-year-old artist who showed great hopes, and entrusted him to paint the future living quarters in the palace, later known to the whole world as Raphael's staves.

The pope wished to see pictures glorifying the church, including those praising the activities of Julius II himself. We must admit that the painter brilliantly coped with the mission entrusted to him and created immortal masterpieces that have become real treasures of world art.

Stanza della Senyatura Raphael

The majestic frescoes brought to the young talent the recognition and fame, as well as the title of the founder of the new trend in art - "Roman Classicism". Rafael, who received the right to paint apartments from the pope, started with a room called Stanza della Segnatura (Hall of Signatures), and the work continued until 1511. It is believed that in this room, whose name is not associated with the work of the master, there was a reception room of the pope or library, and here Julius II wanted to see a reconciliation between antiquity and Christianity.

The main fresco "The Athenian School"

The Raphael's stanza is dedicated to the spiritual perfection of people and divine justice. The master created four frescoes, of which the best, according to art critics, is considered to be the "Athenian School". Two ancient philosophers, Plato and Aristotle, are the central figures, symbolizing the world of ideas living in the higher realms, closely related to earthly experience.

They argue about where the truth comes from, and the various methods of its comprehension. Plato, raising his hand upwards, stands for the philosophy of idealism, and Aristotle, pointing to the earth, explains the virtues of the empirical method of cognition. The characters of the fresco are extremely similar to the heroes of the Middle Ages, which emphasizes the close relationship between the ancient philosophers and theology of the time.

Three works full of symbolism

The fresco "Dispute" is a story about the heavenly church and the earthly, and the action of the composition takes place in two plans. God the Father and his son Jesus, the Virgin Mary and John the Baptist, as well as the dove, symbolizing the Holy Spirit, side by side with an entire army of priests and worldly inhabitants, among whom one can recognize the Italian thinker Dante Alighieri. Rafael portrayed the conversations that the characters lead about the sacrament of the sacrament. And his symbol - a guest (bread) - is in the center of the composition. In its beauty, this painting is recognized as one of the most perfect works in painting.

On the fresco "Parnassus" adorns a beautiful Apollo, surrounded by charmer-muse and great poets of that era. This is the embodiment of an ideal kingdom, where art is placed in the forefront.

The last fresco tells about justice, and it depicts in allegorical form Wisdom, Strength and Temperance, as well as a portrait of Pope Julius II, who is present at the base of canonical and civil law.

Stantza d'Eliodoro

After the artist finishes painting the first room, he proceeds to the second, dedicated to the theme of divine patronage. Work on Stanza di Eliodoro coincided with a period of political instability. And then decides to create a whole cycle of frescoes that would inspire Christians and talk about protecting the Lord through faith, inspired by Raphael Santi.

Stantsy with scenes on the theme of historical events and miracles that happened so pleased the Pope that he renamed the room by the name of one of the frescoes - "The Expulsion of Eliodorus from the Temple," which depicts a heavenly rider who punishes a Syrian king trying to steal gold. In the left part is depicted Julius II, who is brought to the criminal.

"Mass in Bolsena" tells of a miracle that shook the parishioners. The unbelieving priest, who took the cake used in the rite of the sacrament, found that it was the flesh of Christ bleeding. The fresco depicts the pope, who kneels before the sign of God during the service.

The miraculous liberation of the disciple of Jesus from captivity with the help of an angel is embodied in the composition "The Expulsion of St. Peter from the Dungeon." This is a very interesting work in terms of complex perspectives, as well as the play of light and shadow.

And the fourth fresco is dedicated to the meeting of Pope Leo I with the leader of the Huns Attila.

Stanza Incendio di Borgo

This is the last room Rafael Santi personally worked on. The stanitsas in the Vatican were painted for several years (1513-1515), and the frescoes are related to the real events that took place in the history of the Holy See. After the death of Julius II, Pope Leo X. was crowned. Pontiff liked the previous works of the painter so much that he ordered to paint the dining hall, which later became known as Stanza dell'Incendio di Borgo.

The most significant fresco is "Fire in Borgo". The territory of the same area was completely engulfed by fire, and Pope Leo IV, who stopped the elements with the sign of the cross, saved the believing population of the Italian city.

Raphael's Stants: Hall of Constantine

I must say that Rafael, engaged in other projects, entrusted part of the works in the third room to his students, who painted after the death of the brilliant creator at the age of 37 the fourth apartment - Stanza di Constantino.

In 1517, the master received the order to decorate the last room used for magnificent banquets, but the artist managed only to prepare sketches, and frescoes on the theme of the victory of Emperor Constantine over paganism were performed by talented followers of the master. Four compositions tell of the power that the ruler, who made Christianity the official religion, received over the entire Roman Empire. Despite the fact that the stanza of Constantine was performed by Raphael's pupils according to his drawings, and not himself, the hall still refers to the works of the great master.

A masterpiece of world art

The Raphael's stanzas in the Vatican Museum delight visitors with talented performance, attention to detail and realism. This is a unique work of art, the subjects of which touch on extremely important topics - human activity, spiritual perfection and self-knowledge.

To get acquainted with the works of Raphael, it is necessary to visit the museum complex, the entrance to which is possible with a single ticket costing 16 euros.