Paintings brought from the Vatican. Angels from Rome

“Roma Aeterna” or “Eternal Rome” is forty-two works of the first row, most of which rarely left the Pinakothek (and some works never left at all), connecting seven centuries of the history of the Vatican - from the 12th to the 18th. The curator of the project is an art critic, curator of the engraving department and an author who rethinks the images of Italy in his books (“Especially Lombardy. Images of Italy XXI”, “Only Venice. Images of Italy XXI”),

— selected indisputable masterpieces for the exhibition in Moscow: there really is not a single passable work here that has been collecting dust in storage rooms for years.

Caravaggio. Position in the coffin. OK. 1602-1603

The exhibition opens with “Christ Blessing” - a Roman icon of the 12th century, as well as one of the earliest images of Francis of Assisi performed by Margaritone d'Arezzo. In both, traces of both Byzantine aesthetics and the emerging Gothic are clearly visible. The series of works by Donato Creti “Astronomical observations" of the 18th century, which included eight small paintings with images of the planets of the solar system. The series was commissioned by the artist Count Luigi Marsili, who presented it as a gift to Pope Clement XI in order to convince him of the need to sponsor the opening of the first astronomical laboratory in Bologna.

Nicolas Poussin. The Torment of Saint Erasmus. 1628

Between them are the works that make up the color of the papal collection: the textbook Lamentation of Christ, The Dream of Saint Helena by Veronese and Entombment by Caravaggio, small grisailles by Raphael - Faith and Charity, a huge canvas by Nicolas Poussin The Torment of Saint Erasmus "from St. Peter's Basilica, as well as the music-playing angels of Melozzo da Forli, who adorn all the "papal" souvenirs - from entrance tickets to the Vatican Museums to souvenir iPhone cases.

Melozzo da Forli. Angel with lute

In addition to its obvious content appeal, the exhibition also became a diplomatic gesture on a grand scale, which is now presented as

a natural result of the centuries-old “spiritual connection between Moscow and Rome.”

The idea that the main masterpieces of the Vatican would come to the main Russian museum was first discussed three years ago - after a meeting between the President of Russia and.

Paolo Veronese. "The Dream of Saint Helena" 1580

In 2017, a return exhibition of Russian religious painting from the collection of the Tretyakov Gallery will go to the Vatican.

Unlike previous blockbuster exhibitions, “Roma Aeterna” will work in the Engineering Building of the gallery in Lavrushinsky Lane, and not on Krymsky Val. The choice of a less spacious exhibition space was determined by the need to maintain the required humidity and climate conditions necessary for maintaining the exhibits - they are better in a historical building than in a modern one. The Tretyakov Gallery does not set itself the goal of breaking Aivazovsky’s record, said the head of the Tretyakov Gallery. However, to avoid queues, the Tretyakov Gallery organizes half-hour sessions at the exhibition. 90 people will be allowed into the halls. It will last until February 19, 2017. Now electronic tickets for the exhibition, which appeared a month before its opening, have already expired before the end of the year, the resumption of sales is expected any day now.

Friends, good afternoon. On Saturday we were lucky enough to visit a unique exhibition of Vatican masterpieces, you still have the opportunity to see it within two months, don’t miss it.

The exhibition takes place in the Engineering Building of the State Tretyakov Gallery (Lavrushinsky Lane, 12) from November 25, 2016 to February 19, 2017. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to buy tickets through the website, but you can easily come to the museum and buy a ticket right on the spot, at the box office, Despite the large number of visitors, we did not see any queues.

Operating mode:

Tuesday, Wednesday, Sunday from 10.00 to 18.00 (entrance until 17.00)

Thursday, Friday, Saturday from 10.00 to 21.00 (entrance until 20.00)

Monday is a day off.

Allow yourself a couple of hours to view the exhibition; one hour is clearly not enough.

To be honest, I’m still very impressed, I don’t even know where to start. Works from the 12th to the 18th centuries are presented. This is a tenth of the collection, which includes 460 works. It is interesting that a number of paintings left their native walls for the first time, given that not everyone, in light of the tightening of economic policy, can afford to travel abroad, I think that we are very lucky and I recommend using this chance, you will definitely not remain indifferent. Unfortunately, taking photographs at the exhibition is strictly prohibited, so I took all the photographs from the Internet, and the description from the brochure from the exhibition and from memory what I managed to remember from the audio guide.

The exhibition begins with the rare ancient icon “Christ the Blessing,” created in the second half of the 12th century by a master working in Rome under the influence of Byzantine painting. Before entering the Pinacoteca, it was located in the church of Santa Maria in Campo Marzio, one of the oldest in Rome. The Roman master presented Jesus Christ in the image of Pantocrator, that is, the ruler of the Universe, and the icon, being an analogy of ancient Russian images of the Savior Pantocrator, preserves the memory of the unity of the Christian church before the schism, that is, before its division into Catholic and Orthodox, and shows the direct kinship of Italian and Russian art coming from the same root.

The exhibition continues with Margaritone di Magnano, nicknamed Margaritone d'Arezzo ca. 1216-1290).
Saint Francis of Assisi. 1250-1270. Altar image. Wood, tempera, gold. 127.2x53.9 cm.
“Margaritone d'Arezzo, born before Giotto and Duccio, is one of the greatest painters of medieval Italy. The painting is included in all art history textbooks as an outstanding example of the late Romanesque style, but it is also interesting because it is one of the earliest images of St. Francis of Assisi, made shortly after his canonization in 1228. Saint Francis played a vital role in the history of the Western Church; it is not for nothing that the current pope chose his name, who became the first Francis in the history of the Vatican. This work may have been exactly the one that Vasari described in “The Life of Margaritone” as painted from life, so that it can be considered almost one of the first portraits in Italian painting.”

I was shocked both by the icons themselves and by their preservation, think about it, this is from the 12th-13th centuries!

I will not dwell on all the exhibits; I will note only those that sank into my soul the most and shocked me with their skill. Continuing the inspection of the first hall, I would like to draw attention to 3 frescoes by Melozzo degli Ambrosi, nicknamed Melozzo da Forli (1438-1494).
Angels playing the lute. 1480. Fragments of a fresco removed from the wall. Right size: 117×93.5 cm.
The artist “...was invited to Rome by Pope Sixtus IV. He created many frescoes in Roman churches, so that Melozzo can be considered the founder of the Roman school, which flourished in the 16th-17th centuries. Three angels playing music are fragments of his painting of the dome of the Church of Santi Apostoli, a huge multi-figure composition “The Ascension of Christ”.
The fresco was perceived by contemporaries as a triumph of papal power, which revived Rome. The divine orchestra of angels symbolized the unearthly beauty of paradise, and the abstract concept of “music of heaven” is associated with the philosophical constructions of the model of the world, which the Pythagoreans and Platonists spoke about. Melozzo, as a Renaissance artist, combines ancient and Christian traditions in his work. His angels, glorifying the Lord according to the words of the Bible: “Let them praise His name with faces, with tympanum and harp, let them sing to Him, for the Lord delights in His people, glorifying the humble with salvation,” are ideal, like ancient statues, and at the same time vital - they look like young pages at the courts of Renaissance rulers.”

The fresco “Angel Playing the Viol”, not many of Melozzo’s works have reached us; most of his frescoes were lost during perestroika, but from what remains, one can judge the scale of his talent. Melozzo, turning to medieval models, breathed new life into them, anticipating Michelangelo, Raphael, Correggio, and the painting of the domes of Baroque churches.

Also noteworthy is the work of Gentile da Fabriano (c. 1370-1427).
Scenes from the life of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker: St. Nicholas calms the storm and saves the ship. OK. 1425. Predella. Wood, tempera. But it is interesting not so much for its plot, but because the author depicts the earth here as round, which was an absolute innovation for those times. Look at the horizon line.

Well, I can’t help but draw attention to one of the central exhibits of the first hall, Giovanni Bellini (c. 1432-1516). Lamentation of Christ with Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus and Mary Magdalene. OK. 1471-1474. Altar top. Wood, oil. 107×84 cm.
“Bellini is the greatest artist of the Venetian school of the 15th century. This painting is one of his masterpieces. It was the finial of a large altar, and in its composition Bellini takes a decisive step towards the calm grandeur of the High Renaissance, overtaking many of his contemporary Florentine artists. The work is avant-garde in the mere fact that it is painted in oils, using a completely new technique for Italy, just brought to Venice from the Netherlands. The iconography is also original. Usually the main person in the Lamentation scene is the Virgin Mary. Only Joseph of Arimathea, Saint Nicodemus and Mary Magdalene are depicted here supporting Jesus from behind. The thoughtful silence in which the characters are immersed, emphasized by the tension of their clasped hands, gives this scene a rare psychological acuity.”

Looking at a painting by Carlo Crivelli (1435-1494). Mourning. 1488. Lunette. Wood, tempera, gold. For a long time I could not understand the technique in which it was executed, the work here is so delicate that it seems that the picture is woven from brocade, this is amazing, I have never seen anything like it before.
“Carlo Crivelli, a Venetian by birth, left his native city early and became famous in the Marche region. During his lifetime he was popular, but later he was forgotten and rediscovered only at the end of the 19th century. This lunette, which crowned the large altar, is one of his most stunning works. For the sake of expressiveness, the artist resorts to obvious violations of proportions, and in order to intertwine the hands of Jesus, the Virgin Mary and Magdalene together, Crivelli makes the right hand of Christ much longer than the left. Bent over a knot of palms, Magdalene’s face, distorted by crying, becomes the emotional center of the picture. The work is strongly influenced by Northern Gothic, and is characterized by that incredible intensity of psychological experience that is characteristic of the mystical religious movements of the 15th century.”

Most of the works with their plots take us to where the Birth of Christ and other events took place

Moving on to the second hall of the exhibition, I want to start with a description of the painting that most struck me, namely Guido Reni’s painting “St. Matthew and the Angel,” 1635-1640. Painting size 85×68 cm, oil on canvas. Saint Matthew, original name Levi, one of the twelve apostles and author of the first Gospel. Reni painted this picture over the course of about five years already in adulthood. “Saint Matthew and the Angel” is considered one of the artist’s most significant works in the last period of his work. The magic of the gaze of Matthew and the angel is striking, how one listens to the other, with what amazing accuracy and grace the artist was able to convey the complex range of feelings of both in their glances.

The second most powerful painting on me was the painting attributed to Pensionante del Saraceni, “The Denial of St. Peter.” The painting was considered the work of Caravaggio until 1943, but was then attributed to a student of Carlo Saraceni, one of the main representatives of early Caravaggism. The student's name has not yet been established, and he is provisionally called "Pensionante del Saraceni", which in Italian means "guest of Saraceni". His canvases stand out among the works of other Caravaggists: the artist does not plunge the background into darkness, but illuminates the entire picture with an even iridescent light. The plot of the picture is the gospel story of the denial of the Apostle Peter. The night before he was taken into custody, Jesus predicted to him that he would deny three times before the first rooster. A maid approached Peter, who was waiting for news at the gate of the high priest’s house, where the arrested Jesus was taken, and, recognizing him, said: “And she with Jesus of Galilee,” but the apostle denied. In the picture, Peter’s face is in the shadows, as if hiding his shame .

One of the central works of the second room is the work of Michelangelo Merisi, nicknamed Caravaggio, “Entombment,” which the artist painted for the Roman temple of Santa Maria della Valicella. It is considered one of the best in his work. The composition “Entombment” is structured in such a way that the viewer looking at it involuntarily becomes part of the picture. The stone tomb in which they want to put Christ is turned towards the viewer with one of its corners - this corner seems to break through a thin barrier between the world of the picture and ordinary reality. The impression is strengthened by the sharp elbow of Nicodemus holding Jesus by the legs. It seems that they want to convey the motionless body of Christ to the one who looks at the picture.

Young Maria froze in a silent cry, raising her hands to the sky, her hair sticking out in different directions - apparently, she tore it in lamentations. Mary Magdalene's head is mournfully lowered, he hides his tears, worrying about the loss. Jesus' mother does not cry or scream, she silently looks at her son's face, knowing that she will never see him again. The men's faces are concentrated and mournful.

John, frowning, peers into the lifeless face of his Teacher, and the strong and stocky Nicodemus looks down at the bottom of the tomb, straining under the weight of Jesus’ body. The body of Christ is devoid of any cadaverous shades; it is pale, as if it had lost all the colors of life.

Of course, one of the most significant items in the exhibition are two small grisailles by Raphael Santi, which formed the predella of the altarpiece for the church of San Francesco al Prato in Perugia, known as the Baglioni altarpiece, in the center of which was the “Entombment”, now kept in the Galleria Borghese. “Vera”, the side part of the predella, appears in the form of a female figure with a chalice in her hand; putti in the side niches hold tablets with mograms of the name of Jesus.

In the Third Hall we are presented with the series “Astronomical Observations”, the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Satupn, Comet. An unusual series of paintings, mounted in one frame, depicting night observations of all the then known planets of the solar system, created by the Bolognese artist Donato Creti, commissioned by Count Luigi Ferdinando Marsili, an amateur astronomer. The count decided to send the paintings to Pope Clement 11 in the hope of in this way convincing him to allocate money for the construction of an observatory in Bologna and achieved his goal, the funds were allocated.

There are still many worthy and unique works presented at the exhibition and you, friends, have two more months to visit it and see all these creations with your own eyes, I wish you good luck.

Exhibitions and galleries of the Vatican Museums

Pinacoteca Vaticana. It was opened to the public in 1908, but its foundation dates back to the second half of the 18th century, when, by the will of Pius VI, the papal collection of paintings was collected in one place. Currently, the Pinakothek's collection is stored and exhibited in a building specially built for it, which was designed by the architect Luca Beltrami and inaugurated in 1932.

The collection of paintings is exhibited in 18 rooms, and mainly consists of paintings on religious themes, made by Italian masters of the 12th–19th centuries. The Pinakothek's collection includes works by such prominent artists as Caravaggio, Raphael, Titian, Poussin, Domenichino and Reni. One of the halls is entirely dedicated to the works of Leonardo da Vinci (his unfinished painting “Saint Jerome” is located here). Several rooms are dedicated to the exhibition of works from various art schools: Florentine, Baroque, Flemish, Dutch and the school of Raphael Santi. In addition to paintings by great masters, the Vatican Pinacoteca also houses masterpieces of mosaics, tapestries, icons and sculptures.

Ethnological Missionary Museum

Museo missionario etnologico. Began work in 1926 at the behest of Pope Pius XI. The idea of ​​opening the museum was preceded by the International Missionary Exhibition, dedicated to the anniversary of 1925. For this exhibition, 24 pavilions were installed in the Vatican Gardens with religious objects from different countries of the world, where the Catholic Church visited on a missionary mission. Many of the exhibits were subsequently donated to the pontiff and became the core of the museum’s collection. The building for the Ethnological Missionary Museum was built in 1963 under Pope Paul VI. Currently, the museum houses about 100 thousand exhibits from all over the world.

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Pio Cristiano Museum

Museo Pio-Cristiano. It was opened in 1854 by order of Pontiff Pius IX in the Lateran Palace, but in 1963, by the will of Pope John XXIII, it was transferred to the Vatican, and opened for inspection in 1970. The museum is named in honor of Pope Pius IX (“Pio-Cristiano” translated from Italian as “Pious Christian”). Works of art from the early Christian era that were found in the Roman catacombs are stored and exhibited here. The museum's collection mainly consists of sarcophagi, reliefs and funerary sculptures. The most famous is the statue of the Good Shepherd, which was originally part of a 4th-century sarcophagus. The marble statue entered the museum from the Mariotti collection at the beginning of the 18th century. Carved in a bucolic, idyllic style, the statue depicts a young man with a lamb on his shoulders, presumably representing Christ at a young age.

One of the most interesting exhibits of the museum is also considered a sarcophagus from the year 330, decorated with scenes from the Old and New Testaments, which was found during the construction work of the Cathedral of St. Paul the Apostle on the Ostian Way in 1838. The reliefs of the sarcophagus depict some biblical scenes: “The Creation of Man”, “The Adoration of the Magi”, “Daniel in the Lions’ Den”, and “Habakkuk, who gives him food”, followed by engravings of “The Raising of Lazarus” and “Christ’s Prediction to Peter about his triple denial." You can also note the “Sarcophagus of the Two Brothers,” dating back to 350, and the “Dogmatic Sarcophagus,” named after the four Christian dogmas that are reflected in the scenes located on it.

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Museo Gregoriano Egizio. Opened in 1839 by Gregory XVI. The main goal of founding the museum was to collect as many Egyptian antiquities as possible in one place. The core of the collection, which contains works of art of Ancient Egypt, statues, sculptures, papyri, sarcophagi and mummies, was laid by Pope Pius VII. Subsequently, the museum's collection was replenished with objects and artifacts from private collections and the results of excavations during the Roman occupation of Egypt until the 3rd century.

The nine halls of the Gregorian Egyptian Museum present art objects that were collected at Hadrian's Villa in Tivoli, as well as finds from ancient Mesopotamia and Syria. The halls are decorated in Egyptian style, and among the exhibits are a statue of Ramses II on the throne, a memorial stele of the female pharaoh Hatshepsut, a colossal head of Pharaoh Amenhotep, funerary steles from the Giza necropolis, a colossal statue of Tuya, the mother of the famous Ramses II, a statue of the god Anubis and many other.

Pius Clement Museum

Museo Pio-Clementino. The founding date is considered to be 1769, when, on the initiative of Pope Clement XIV, famous Greek and Roman works of art began to be collected. The museum's exhibits are housed in the halls and courtyard of the palace, which has an octagonal shape and is surrounded by a portico with 16 columns. In 1803, niches were built in the courtyard where the most important statues were installed.

• Niche of Laocoon named after the sculptural group “Laocoon and Sons”. The marble group is believed to have been made by Rhodian craftsmen at the beginning of the 1st century, and was subsequently restored by Michelangelo Buonarotti.
• Canova's niche bears the name of the author of the sculpture. In 1800, by order of Pius VII, the famous master Antonio Canova made a copy of the Greek original of the destroyed statue of Perseus. Perseus is depicted with divine attributes: the helmet of Hades, the sword of Hephaestus, the sandals of Hermes and the head of Medusa.
• Apollo's Niche represents a Roman copy of the famous statue of Apollo Belvedere, presumably made in 130–140 from the original bronze statue of the ancient Greek sculptor Leochares, who lived in the 4th century BC.
• Niche of Hermes takes its name from the statue of Hermes placed there, a Roman copy of the original statue by the ancient Greek sculptor of the 4th century BC Praxiteles.

Gallery of statues

Galleria delle Statue. Decorated with frescoes by Andrea Mantegna and Pinturicchio in the 15th century. Subsequently, Roman and Greek statues from the classical period were installed here. Among the exhibits are the statues of “Sleeping Ariadne”, “Wounded Amazon”, “Drunken Satyr”, “Penelope’s Lament” and “Apollo Killing the Lizard”.

• Hall of the Greek Cross (Sala a Croce Greca) is named because of its shape of an equal-armed Greek cross, designed and decorated by Michelangelo Simonetti. The collection of this hall consists of Roman mosaics, sarcophagi, reliefs and statues dating from the 2nd to 4th centuries. A unique statue of a walking woman is kept here, presumably the only surviving image of Queen Cleopatra.
• Rotunda Hall (Sala Rotonda) was built by the architect Michelangelo Simonetti in 1782. In the niches of the hall there are 18 statues of Greek gods and heroes. Some of them: a bronze statue of Hercules, a statue of Emperor Claudius in the guise of Jupiter, a statue of Antinous (favorite of Emperor Hadrian) in the guise of the god Dionysus. The hall also contains a giant porphyry bowl, which was located in the Golden House of Nero.
• Gallery of busts (Galleria dei Busti) exhibits marble portraits of emperors, about 100 busts of Roman patricians, as well as a collection of Renaissance frescoes.
• Cabinet of masks (Gabinetto delle Maschere) takes its name from a unique floor mosaic from the 2nd century, which depicts an ornament of masks. The hall contains Roman copies of statues from Hellenistic originals, such as the Three Graces, Satyr, Dancing Woman and Aphrodite of Cnidus.
• Hall of Muses (Sala delle Muse) was created in 1782 according to the design of Michelangelo Simonetti. The hall displays statues of nine muses, Roman herms with images of Greek philosophers, as well as the Belvedere Torso, the work of the Athenian sculptor Apollonius.
• (Sala degli Animali) displays about 150 animal figures, mostly copies of Greek originals, made by the sculptor Francesco Antonio Franzoni, commissioned by Pius VI. The marble and alabaster statues were restored at the end of the 19th century.

Gallery of candelabra

Galleria delle Candelabri. Founded in 1761. Initially, the gallery premises were built as an open loggia, but subsequently, by order of Pius VI, it was rebuilt according to the design of the architects Michelangelo Simonetti and Joseph Camporese. At the end of the 19th century, the arches of the Candelabra Gallery were decorated with amazing paintings by famous artists Torti and Seitz. Measuring 80 meters in length, the gallery is divided into six recreations by marble columns. Each of them presents works of classical art: vases, fragments of sarcophagi, ancient frescoes, and, in fact, candelabra of the 2nd century, after which the gallery is named. The candelabra were made by marble masters from Otricoli. Also of interest are the ancient Roman copies from Greek originals dating back to the 3rd-1st centuries BC (statues “Child and Goose”, “Persian Warrior”, “Old Fisherman”; statues of Apollo, Atalanta, fragments of a sarcophagus depicting the daughters of Niobe and a lot others).

• Chariot Hall (Sala carro) was opened during the pontificate of Pius VI and is named after an ancient exhibit, a Roman chariot dating from the 1st century BC, restored in 1788. Sarcophagi, ancient sculptures and statues are also stored and displayed in the hall.
• (Sala dei Chiaroscuri) was decorated in 1517 by the students of Raphael Santi, but the frescoes were soon lost during the pontificate of Paul IV. In 1582, by the will of Gregory XIII, the Chiaroscuri Hall was restored and painted with frescoes depicting the apostles and saints, on which the painters brothers Taddeo and Federico Zuccari worked. The ceiling with carvings, gilding and the Medici emblem was designed by the artist Cherubino Alberti.

Gregorian Etruscan Museum

Museo Gregoriano Etrusco. Opened in 1837 by the will of Pope Gregory XVI. The discovery took place immediately after archaeological excavations in one of the Etruscan necropolises near the Italian city of Cerveteri. The basis of the museum fund was the finds from these excavations and from excavations of ancient settlements in southern Etruria. The 22 halls of the Gregorian Etruscan Museum display numerous household items, vessels, terracotta, as well as items made of ceramics, bronze, gold and silver. The halls are decorated with frescoes illustrating scenes from the Old Testament. Some of the exhibits attract special attention. Thus, in one of the halls of the museum, jewelry made of gold and silver of the 7th century BC is presented, in the other - the complete military equipment of an Etruscan warrior dating back to the 4th century BC. Among the exhibits here you can see a large collection of Etruscan funeral urns and tuff sarcophagi, which depict scenes from ancient Greek myths. One hall of the Gregorian Etruscan Museum is given over to the reconstruction of the furnishings of the Etruscan temple with numerous altars and terracotta sculptures.

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Chiaramonti Museum

Museo Chiaramonti. Opened in 1807, its founder was Pope Pius VII. The museum's collection consists of classical Greek and Roman sculpture, reliefs, bas-reliefs and ancient inscriptions. Today the exhibits are displayed in three buildings: the Chiaramonti Gallery (corridor), the Braccio Nuovo and the Lapidaria Gallery.

• Braccio Nuovo (Braccio Nuovo) is a hall adjacent to the Chiaramonti Museum, so its name translates as “new sleeve”. It was built in 1822 according to the design of the architect Raphael Stern. The exhibits are divided thematically into two sections: Roman history and Greek mythology. A large collection of portrait sculptures is also exhibited here.
• Gallery Lapidaria (Galleria Lapidaria), which can only be visited upon request, was founded during the pontificate of Benedict IV. He collected a collection of ancient inscriptions from the pre-Christian and Christian periods. The gallery's collection contains about 3,000 pieces and fragments of stone slabs, sarcophagi and urns with inscriptions. At the beginning of the 19th century, the famous historian and archaeologist Gaetano Marini organized and classified the extensive collection of the Lapidarium Gallery.
• Chiaramonti Gallery (Galleria Chiaramonti) is the oldest part of the museum, founded in 1807, which displays about 1000 ancient sculptures, busts, architectural decorations, urns and sarcophagi. The gallery was decorated by artists from the Academy of St. Luke under the direction of the famous sculptor Antonio Canova.

Some exhibits in the Chiaramonti Gallery are of greatest interest to the public. For example, the colossal head of Athena from the era of Hadrian, the 1st century relief of the Three Graces, the stone head of Poseidon, the portrait sculpture of the politician Demosthenes and the orator Cicero, the marble statue of the Wounded Amazon, as well as two beams from the ship of Emperor Caligula, found in 1827.

Historical Museum

Museo storico vaticano. The museum, founded in 1973 by Pope Paul VI, houses the carriage pavilion on the Vatican grounds. All kinds of vehicles of the Roman pontiffs are stored here, such as saddles, palanquins, carriages, cars and a model of the first papal locomotive. The exhibition of exhibits is accompanied by a display of thematic paintings and photographs. The main part of the Historical Museum is located in the papal apartments of the Laterano Palace and occupies 10 rooms.

Arazzi Gallery

Galleria degli Arazzi. Also known as the Tapestry Gallery. Opened in 1838. Tapestries made according to sketches by Raphael Santi by his students are kept here. Initially, the tapestries were placed in the Sistine Chapel (in 1531), but then, by the will of Gregory XVI, they were moved to a special gallery. Of particular historical interest are tapestries illustrating biblical stories from the Gospel, based on the works of the Flemish artist Pieter Cook van Aelst (“Adoration of the Shepherds,” “Massacre of the Innocents,” “Resurrection”). The gallery also contains tapestries produced by the Barberini manufactories, which depict stories from the life of Urban VIII. Among them, “The Election of Vincenzo Maffeo Barberini as Pope Urban VIII” and “Pope Urban VIII Receives the Prize of the Nations” stand out.

Gallery of geographical maps

Galleria delle Carte Geografiche. Opened in 1580. In total there are 40 maps of the most important areas for the Catholic Church. The ceiling is painted with scenes from the life of the apostles and scenes from the Old Testament. All the maps with which the gallery was decorated were ordered by Pope Gregory XIII in the workshop of the cartographer Ignazio Danti. In addition to detailed reproductions of selected areas, historical events, monuments and geographic features can be seen on the maps. The cartographic painting in the hall is decorated with artistic elements, such as mythical characters and ships at sea, views of some cities, historical scenes of siege and battles. The most detailed maps are presented here of Avignon, where the papal residence was located, Genoa, Venice, Sicily and Corsica.

Apartment Borgia

Appartamento Borgia. Built as the personal residence of Pope Alexander VI Borgia at the end of the 15th century. Since 1490, the famous painter Bernardino Pinturicchio began working on the design of the apartments. The interior decor was so luxurious and excessively decorated with gold that after the death of the Pope, the Roman pontiffs left these premises for a long time. It was only in 1816 that the Borgia apartments began to be used to store works of art taken from Rome by Napoleon and returned after his overthrow. The apartments were subsequently restored and opened to the public in 1897. The themes of the halls' painting determined their name:

• Hall of the Sibyls (Sala de Sibille) is decorated with frescoes depicting sibyls and prophets, gilded stucco and astrological symbols of the seven planets. There is also a heraldic emblem of the Borgia with a flame and the double radiant crown of Aragon, hinting at the "solar" origin of Pope Alexander VI. The sibyls are depicted in pairs with prophets and with fluttering fancy scrolls on which passages from prophecies are visible.
• Hall of the Sacraments of Faith (Sala dei Misteri) takes its name from the seven sacraments of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary depicted in its design. The frescoes depict scenes: “Annunciation”, “Nativity”, “Adoration of the Magi”, “Resurrection”, “Ascension”, “Descent of the Holy Spirit”, “Ascension of Mary”.
• Hall of Saints (Sala dei Santi) is painted with scenes from the lives of saints, as well as scenes from ancient myths about the deities Isis and Osiris. Ancient Greek pagan myths are represented in the ceiling paintings, while the lunettes depict Christian scenes from the lives of saints: the visit of Mary Elizabeth, the meeting of Saints Anthony the Abbot and Paul the Hermit in the desert, the martyrdom of St. Sebastian, Disputation of St. Catherine of Alexandria with philosophers before Emperor Maximilian, St. Susanna, martyrdom of St. Barbarians.
• Hall of the Pontiffs (Sala dei Pontefici) was intended for ceremonies, therefore it has the largest dimensions compared to other halls. Under Leo X at the beginning of the 16th century, the walls of the hall were painted with frescoes by Giovanni da Udine.
• Hall of Miracles of Faith (Sala del Credo). Here are scenes from the series “Seven Secrets of Mary’s Joy of Life.” It is possible that this hall was used for private audiences or for celebrations among the Pope's close friends.
• Hall of Sciences and Liberal Arts (Sala delle Arti Liberali) supposedly served as the papal study. The frescoes in the hall represent science in the form of ladies seated on a throne surrounded by famous artists.

Stanze di Raffaello. The stanzas are several apartments painted in 1508-1517 by Raphael together with his students. "Stanza" means "room" in Italian. Raphael personally painted 3 stanzas, and the fourth was designed by his students based on his sketches after the death of the great master.

• Stanza del Incendio di Borgo (Stanza dell'Incendio di Borgo). The theme of the paintings relates to the history of the papacy. The stanza is named after the fresco "Fire in Borgo";
• Stanza della Segnatura (Stanza della Segnatura) served as a work office for the pontiffs. The frescoes are dedicated to the theme of human spirituality, namely, philosophy (the fresco "School of Athens"), theology ("Disputation"), poetry ("Parnassus"), and justice ("Wisdom, Moderation and Strength");
• Stanza d'Eliodoro (Stanza d'Eliodoro) is dedicated to the miraculous protection of God. The walls are painted with frescoes of "The Expulsion of Heliodorus", "Mass at Bolsena" and "The Exposition of Peter";
• Hall of Constantine (Sala di Costantino) was painted after Raphael's death. The painting of the hall is dedicated to the life of the Roman Emperor Constantine and personifies the victory of Christianity over paganism.

Loggias of Raphael

Loggia di Raffaello. Three loggias, which are located on three floors of the Apostolic Palace, designed by Bramante and decorated by Raphael Santi and his students. The loggia on the second floor was the very first to be painted, presumably in the period 1517–1519. The loggia, about 65 meters long, runs along the entire eastern side of the palace, and is divided into thirteen vaulted spans, decorated with frescoes illustrating scenes from the New and Old Testaments.

Presumably at the same time, the so-called Prima Loggia, located on the first floor of the building, was decorated. The quality of the frescoes suggests that the work was carried out mainly by Raphael's students based on his sketches. In the second half of the 19th century, restoration took place here, which caused considerable controversy among experts.

The loggia on the third floor bears the name of Cardinal Bernardo Bibiena, as it is located near his apartments. In the design of the loggia, Giovanni da Udine, a student of Raphael, used exquisite grotesques made according to the drawings of the great master.

Gallery of Contemporary Religious Art

Galleria d'arte religiosa moderna. Opened in 1973 on the initiative of Paul VI. For some time, part of the collection was kept in the Vatican Pinacoteca, and then works of modern art were placed separately. Now the gallery includes a large collection of paintings, graphics and sculpture. Here you can see the works of such great masters such as Auguste Rodin, Vincent Van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso, Wassily Kandinsky and Marc Chagall.

entry tickets

official site

34 works and a series of 8 paintings by Donato Creti from the permanent exhibition of the Pinakothek were brought to Moscow. Works from the 12th to the 18th centuries are presented. This is a tenth of the collection, which includes 460 works. It is interesting that a number of paintings left their native walls for the first time. Most of the paintings were selected for the exhibition by the director of the Tretyakov Gallery, Zelfira Tregulova, and the curator, art historian and curator of the Hermitage’s prints department, Arkady Ippolitov.

A return exhibition from the Tretyakov Gallery’s collection will go to the Vatican next fall.

The Vatican Museums are a museum of the history of Rome and Roman art. Here you can study all seven centuries of the history of the Papal State. Each hall of the Pinakothek is dedicated to one century. The eighth hall is dedicated to the work of Raphael.

Deputy Director of the Vatican Museums Barbara Yatta talks about the history of the Vatican Museums and more about the Pinacoteca. The current exhibition is “a very symbolic and unique selection from the collection of the Vatican Museums... The very arrangement of the works allows us to understand the historical connection. The exhibition shows how each work is located in one or another hall of the Pinakothek...”


“This exhibition is a contribution to the relations between our countries and, most importantly, it is something that will leave a mark in the souls of the Russian people...”

The sound of the Italian language is an excellent additional opportunity to understand the very spirit of the Roman school of painting that the organizers wanted to convey.

HALL I

1 (left). Roman school. Christ the Blesser. XII century Altar image. Canvas pasted on wood, tempera.
“The exhibition begins with the rare ancient icon “Christ the Blessing,” created in the second half of the 12th century by a master working in Rome under the influence of Byzantine painting. Before entering the Pinacoteca, it was located in the church of Santa Maria in Campo Marzio, one of the oldest in Rome. The Roman master presented Jesus Christ in the image of Pantocrator, that is, the ruler of the Universe, and the icon, being an analogy of ancient Russian images of the Savior Pantocrator, preserves the memory of the unity of the Christian church before the schism, that is, before its division into Catholic and Orthodox, and shows the direct kinship of Italian and Russian art coming from the same root."

But what different paths the art of our countries took in the future! Within the walls of the Tretyakov Gallery this is felt especially acutely.
Sincere faith comes from these two paintings, the oldest in the exhibition.

2. Margaritone di Magnano, nicknamed Margaritone d'Arezzo ca. 1216–1290).
Saint Francis of Assisi. 1250–1270. Altar image. Wood, tempera, gold. 127.2x53.9 cm.
"Margaritone d" Arezzo, born before Giotto and Duccio, is one of the greatest painters of medieval Italy. The painting is included in all textbooks on the history of art as an outstanding example of the late Romanesque style, but it is also interesting because it is one of the earliest images of the saint Francis of Assisi, made shortly after his canonization in 1228. St. Francis played a vital role in the history of the Western church, it is not for nothing that his name was chosen by the current pope, who became the first Francis in the history of the Vatican.This work may have been exactly the one that Vasari wrote in his Life Margaritone" described as painted from life, so that it can be considered almost one of the first portraits in Italian painting."

7 (left). Gentile da Fabriano (c. 1370–1427).
Scenes from the life of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker: St. Nicholas calms the storm and saves the ship. OK. 1425. Predella. Wood, tempera.
“Part of the predella by Gentile da Fabriano, one of the most captivating masters of Italian late Gothic, tells of a miracle performed by Nicholas the Wonderworker, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia, equally revered by the Orthodox and Catholic churches. On a ship caught in a storm and doomed to destruction, the sailors offered a prayer to Saint Nicholas, and he came to the rescue. The artist depicts the moment when the saint rushes from heaven to save the sailors. The mermaid swimming in the waves, according to medieval symbolism, personifies the demonic force that caused the storm, but Gentile da Fabriano, who scattered fantastic inhabitants of the deep sea in the waters, turns the edifying story about the victory over the devil into a wonderful picturesque mirage.”

8 (on right). Guido di Pietro, nicknamed Fra Beato Angelico (c. 1395–1455).
Scenes from the life of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. Around 1447–1449 (?). Predella. Wood, tempera, gold.
“Guido di Pietro took monastic vows under the name of Brother Giovanni, but Vasari already nicknamed him Angelico, the Angelic, both for the charm of his art and for the gentleness of his character. Later, the adjective “Beato” was added to the nickname, and he entered the history of art under the name Fra Beato Angelico, the Blessed Angelic Brother. In 1982, Pope John Paul II officially beatified him, and now he has become the patron saint of artists. This is the most gentle and poetic artist of the Florentine 15th century. This work is dedicated to the miracles of St. Nicholas performed by him after his death. On the right, Saint Nicholas saves a ship from destruction, on the left, he addresses the sailors who sailed from Alexandria with a cargo of grain for the Roman emperor. He asks them to give grain to save his hometown from famine, and promises that this will not reduce the load.”

10 (left). Carlo Crivelli (1435–1494).
Mourning. 1488. Lunette. Wood, tempera, gold.
“Carlo Crivelli, a Venetian by birth, left his native city early and became famous in the Marche region. During his lifetime he was popular, but later he was forgotten and rediscovered only at the end of the 19th century. This lunette, which crowned the large altar, is one of his most stunning works. For the sake of expressiveness, the artist resorts to obvious violations of proportions, and in order to intertwine the hands of Jesus, the Virgin Mary and Magdalene together, Crivelli makes the right hand of Christ much longer than the left. Bent over a knot of palms, Magdalene’s face, distorted by crying, becomes the emotional center of the picture. The work is strongly influenced by Northern Gothic, and is characterized by that incredible intensity of psychological experience that is characteristic of the mystical religious movements of the 15th century.”

11 (in the center). Giovanni Bellini (c. 1432–1516).
Lamentation of Christ with Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus and Mary Magdalene. OK. 1471–1474. Altar top. Wood, oil. 107x84 cm.
“Bellini is the greatest artist of the Venetian school of the 15th century. This painting is one of his masterpieces. It was the finial of a large altar, and in its composition Bellini takes a decisive step towards the calm grandeur of the High Renaissance, overtaking many of his contemporary Florentine artists. The work is avant-garde in the mere fact that it is painted in oils, using a completely new technique for Italy, just brought to Venice from the Netherlands. The iconography is also original. Usually the main person in the Lamentation scene is the Virgin Mary. Only Joseph of Arimathea, Saint Nicodemus and Mary Magdalene are depicted here supporting Jesus from behind. The thoughtful silence in which the characters are immersed, emphasized by the tension of their clasped hands, gives this scene a rare psychological acuity.”

9 (on right). Ercole de Roberti (c. 1450–1496).
Miracles of Saint Vincenzo Ferrer. 1473. Predella. Wood, tempera.
“In the 15th century, Ferrara flourished under the Dukes of Este, becoming an influential cultural center of Renaissance Italy. Ercole de Roberti is one of the most original artists of the Ferrara school. His predella is considered the most sophisticated predella of the Renaissance. It is dedicated to the acts of the Spanish saint Vincenzo Ferrer and is full of mysterious and the alluring spirit of Ferrara. The following episodes are depicted (from left to right): healing of a woman in labor - landscape - resurrection of a rich Jew - healing of a lame man - rescue of a child from a burning house - child killed by an insane mother - resurrection of a child. The iconography of the predella has not been fully deciphered, and the artist shows his erudition, combining Gothic extravagance with references to ancient art."

14.15. Melozzo degli Ambrosi, nicknamed Melozzo da Forli (1438–1494).
Angels playing the lute. 1480. Fragments of a fresco removed from the wall. Right size: 117x93.5 cm.
The artist “...was invited to Rome by Pope Sixtus IV. He created many frescoes in Roman churches, so that Melozzo can be considered the founder of the Roman school, which flourished in the 16th–17th centuries. Three angels playing music are fragments of his painting of the dome of the Church of Santi Apostoli, a huge multi-figure composition “The Ascension of Christ”.
The fresco was perceived by contemporaries as a triumph of papal power, which revived Rome. The divine orchestra of angels symbolized the unearthly beauty of paradise, and the abstract concept of “music of heaven” is associated with the philosophical constructions of the model of the world, which the Pythagoreans and Platonists spoke about. Melozzo, as a Renaissance artist, combines ancient and Christian traditions in his work. His angels, glorifying the Lord according to the words of the Bible: “Let them praise His name with faces, on tympanum and harp, let them sing to Him, for the Lord takes pleasure in His people, glorifying the humble with salvation,” ideal, like ancient statues, and at the same time vital - they look like young pages at the courts of Renaissance rulers.”


Among the many crucifixions, lamentations, entombments and other tragic scenes, the section of the exhibition with three angel-musicians is like a bright corner of paradise, a rest for the soul. They are characterized by lightness, lack of exaltation, and deliberate theatricality. The roughness and dullness of the fresco attracts the eye.

Listen and watch the story about the Pinakothek of Barbara Yatta and the continuation of the excursion