The Vatican Picture Gallery
It is an extraordinary collection of paintings, most of them representing sacred subjects. The Picture Gallery dates back to Pio VI who collected paintings coming from the papal Palasts. Many of these works were brought to France, and it is only thanks to Canova’s action if a part of them were recovered during the 19th century. Among the masterpieces of the Vatican Gallery there are: The Stefaneschi’s Triptyc, made in Rome by Giotto and assigned to the Confession Altar in the ancient St. Peter’s Basilica.
In Room 4, there is a fresco portraying Sisto IV while appointing Bartolomeo Sacchi, known as the Platina, as a prefect of the Vatican Library. This is a work by Melozzo and was transferred on canvas at the time of Leone XII.
Room 8, is the largest and the most solemn in the Picture Gallery, with works by Raffaello among which the famous 10 tapestries and some of his most famous such as The Tranfiguration, that was ordered to Raffaello by the Cardinal Giulio De’ Medici in 1517, and The Madonna of Foligno.
In the other Rooms there are paintings by Leonardo da Vinci, Tiziano and Caravaggio’s Deposition.
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