The Vatican Painting Gallery
was founded by Pope Pius VI in 1799 and officially established
in 1815, with the purpose of collecting the works of
art that had been taken away by the French and then
given back. Over the years the Vatican Painting Gallery had to be moved several times and passed from the Borgia
Apartments to the Galleria degli arazzi (tapestries)
to be finally set up under the Library rooms. In 1932
its final seat was inaugurated. In its sixteen rooms
you can admire many masterpieces by the greatest European
artists from the XII to the XVIII century.
ROOMS I and II
Paintings by the artists of Giotto's school and others
from the XIII -XIV century, among them Giovanni Bonsi,
Giovanni del Biondo, Giovanni Baronzio, Antonio Veneziano,
together with many anonymous painters.
In particular: the Stefaneschi Triptych by Giotto and
his aids, the Madonna del Magnificat by B. Daddi, the
Episodi della Vita di San Nicola (Episodes of St. Nicholas'
life) and Il naufragio (The shipwreck) by Gentile da
Fabriano.
ROOM III
Mainly dedicated to Beato Angelico, (1387 - 1455), with
his Vergine tra i Santi Domenico e Caterina (the Virgin
with Saints Dominic and Catherine) and Storie di San
Nicola(Stories of St. Nicholas').
This room contains also paintings by Filippo Lippi (Incoronazione
della Vergine, the Coronation of the Virgin ), and by
Benozzo Bozzoli (Il viaggio dei Magi, the Three Kings'
voyage).
ROOM IV
This room is dedicated almost exclusively to Melozzo
da Forlì (1438 - 1494). In the center you can
admire the detached fresco with Sisto IV e Bartolomeo
Platina (Sixtus IV and Bartholomew Platina). In the
same room: Vergine in trono e Santi (the Virgin with
the Saints) by Marco Palmezzano.
ROOM V
By Francesco del Cossa (1435 - 1477), Miracoli di San
Vincenzo Ferreri (the miracles of Saint Vincent Ferreri),
a part of a triptych painted for the church of Saint
Petronio in Bologna.
ROOM VI
This is the room of the polyptychs and it contains works
by various artists of the XV century. Among them Carlo
Crivelli (Madonna con il Bambino), Antonio Vivarini
(Sant'Antonio abate e otto Santi), Guidoccio Gozzarelli
(Storie di Santa Barbara).
ROOM VII
This room is dedicated to the Umbria school artists:
Perugino (Madonna in Trono con Bambino e Santi, dated
1495), Pinturicchio (Incoronazione della Vergine), Tiberio
d'Assisi (Madonna con il Bambino), Giovanni Santi, Raphael's
father, (San Girolamo in Trono).
ROOM VIII
This is Raphael's room (1483 - 1520), where you can
admire the works that marked Raphael's artistic evolution.
Among the most famous ones, the Incoronazione della
Vergine(Coronation of the Virgin); Annunciazione(Annunciation),
Adorazione dei Re Magi(Adoration of the Three Kings),
Presentazione al Tempio(Presentation to the Temple);
Trasfigurazione (Transfiguration).
ROOM IX
By Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519): San Girolamo, unfinished;
by Giovanni Bellini (also known as Giambellino, 1430
- 1516): Incoronazione della Vergine.
ROOM X
In this room most of the paintings belong to the Venetian
school.
By Tiziano (1477-1576) Madonna di san Niccolò
dei Frari;
by Paolo Veronese (1520-1588): Sant'Elena;
by Paris Bordone (1500 - 1571);
by Pieter de Wit, la Sacra Famiglia con Sant'Anna e
San Giovannino
ROOM XI
By federico Barocci: the Testa di Madonna (The Virgin's
head), the Madonna delle Ciliegie (The Virgin of the
Cherries) and San Francesco che riceve le stimmate (Saint
Francis receiving the stigmata);
by Giorgio Vasari: La lapidazione di Santo Stefano (the
lapidation of Saint Stephen).
by Ippolito Scarsella also known as Scarsellino: la
Visitazione di santa Elisabetta (the Visitation of Saint
Elisabeth).
ROOM XII
Paintings of the XVI century, dominated by the figure
of Caravaggio (Michelangelo Merisi).
By Caravaggio (1573-1610): the Deposizione di Cristo
(Deposition of Christ);
by Domenico Zampieri (also known as Domenichino 1581-1641)
the Comunione di San Girolamo e la Maddalena.
ROOM XIII
This is the continuation of the previous room, with
artists close to Caravaggio's style
By Orazio Gentileschi: Giuditta;
by Giovanni Lanfranco: Gesù Bambino addormentato
(Jesus sleeping);
by Vittorio Berettini from Cortona, the Madonna che
appare a San Francesco (The virgin appears to Saint
Francis).
ROOM XIV
Paintings by artists of the XVII and XVIII centuries.
By Peter Paul Rubens: the Trionfo di Marte (the Triumph
of Mars);
by Peter Van Bloemen: Mandria di cavalli (group of horses);
by Giovanni Battista Gaulli (also known as Baciccia):
Angeli musicanti (Angels playing music).
ROOM XV
This is the room of the portraits.
By Gentile Bellini: the portrait of Doge Niccolò
Marcello;
by Carlo Maratta: the portrait of Clemente IX;
by Giuseppe Maria Crespi: Portrait of Benedetto XIV;
ROOM XVI
Collection of bizantine paintings of the XVI - XVII
centuries.
By Emanuele Zanfurnari: Sepoltura di Efren (the burial
of Efren)
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San Girolamo,
by Leonardo da Vinci
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Caravaggio,
La Deposizione di Cristo
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detail of Caravaggio's painting
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