Vatican loggias

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A view down the loggia Loge du 2eme etage du palais apostolique du Vatican.jpg
A view down the loggia
A section of ceiling with scenes from the life of David Loggia di raffaello 04.jpg
A section of ceiling with scenes from the life of David

The Vatican loggias (Italian : Logge di Raffaello) are a corridor space in the Apostolic Palace, originally open to the elements on one side. Their construction was begun by Donato Bramante in 1512 [1] . They were decorated in fresco around 1519 by Raphael's large team of artists, with Giovanni da Udine involved. Because of the relative unimportance of the space, and a desire to copy the recently re-discovered Domus Aurea style of Ancient Roman painting, no large paintings were used, and the surfaces were mostly covered with grotesque designs on a white background, with paintings imitating sculptures in niches, and small figurative subjects in a revival of Ancient Roman style. This large array provided a repertoire of elements that were the basis for later artists creating grotesque decoration across Europe. [2]

Contents

The loggias now form part of the ceremonial route for distinguished visitors, but are not otherwise on the tourist route.

Between 1787-1792 the architect Giacomo Quarenghi constructed a full copy of the loggias, called the Raphael Loggias, in the Large Hermitage, Saint Petersburg.

Scheme

The layout of the scenes in the loggia does not always align when transitioning from bay to bay. As a result, the table below does not display the biblical events in chronological order, but according to the orientation of the loggia itself.

The scheme of the ceiling of the Raphael Loggia from north to south is as follows:

EastSouthWestNorth
Bay I - The Creation
Loggia di raffaello, 01, 01.jpg
Sanzio, Raffaello - The Separation of Land and Water - 1518-19.JPG
Loggia di raffaello, 01, 03.jpg
Loggia di raffaello 02.jpg
Separation of Light and DarknessSeparation of Land and WaterCreation of the Sun and MoonCreation of Animals
Bay II - Adam and Eve
Loggia di raffaello, 02, 02.jpg
Loggia di raffaello, 02, 03.jpg
Loggia di raffaello, 02, 04.jpg
Loggia di raffaello, 02, 01.jpg
The Fall of ManExpulsion from EdenThe First ChildrenThe Creation of Eve
Bay III - Noah
Leaving the ark on Mount Ararat.jpg
Loggia di raffaello, 03, 04.jpg
Loggia di raffaello, 03, 01.jpg
Loggia di raffaello, 03, 02.jpg
The Ark on Mount AraratThe Sacrifice of NoahThe Building of the ArkThe Flood
Bay IV - Abraham
Loggia di raffaello, 04, 02.jpg
Loggia di raffaello, 04, 04.jpg
Loggia di raffaello, 04, 01.jpg
Loggia di raffaello, 04, 03.jpg
God and AbrahamLot Fleeing SodomAbraham and MelchizedekAbraham and the Three Angels
Bay V - Isaac
Loggia di raffaello 07.jpg
Loggia di raffaello, 05, 04.jpg
Loggia di raffaello, 05, 01.jpg
Loggia di raffaello, 05, 03.jpg
Abimelech Spies and Isaac and RebeccaIsaac and EsauGod and IsaacIsaac and Jacob
Bay VI - Jacob
Loggia di raffaello, 06, 03.jpg
Loggia di raffaello, 06, 04.jpg
Loggia di raffaello 08.jpg
Loggia di raffaello 05.jpg
Jacob and LabanJacob Returns to CanaanThe Dream of JacobJacob and Rachel
Bay VII - Joseph
Loggia di raffaello, 07, 03.jpg
Loggia di raffaello, 07, 04.jpg
Loggia di raffaello, 07, 01.jpg
Loggia di raffaello, 07, 02.jpg
The Treachery of Potiphar's WifeThe Dreams of PharaohThe Dreams of JosephJoseph Sold by his Brothers
Bay VIII - Moses (I)
Loggia di raffaello, 08, 03.jpg
Loggia di raffaello, 08, 04.jpg
Loggia di raffaello 03.jpg
Loggia di raffaello, 08, 02.jpg
The Water Gushing from the RockThe Crossing of the Red SeaThe Finding of MosesThe Burning Bush
Bay IX - Moses (II)
Loggia di raffaello, 09, 03.jpg
Loggia di raffaello, 09, 04.jpg
Loggia di raffaello, 09, 01.jpg
Loggia di raffaello, 09, 02.jpg
The Pillar of CloudMoses Presenting the LawMoses Receives the TabletsThe Golden Calf
Bay X - Joshua
Loggia di raffaello, 10, 01.jpg
Loggia di raffaello, 10, 02.jpg
Loggia di raffaello, 10, 03.jpg
Loggia di raffaello, 10, 04.jpg
Crossing the Jordan RiverThe Fall of JerichoThe Halting of the SunThe Dividing of the Land Among the Tribes
Bay XI - David
Loggia di raffaello, 11, 04.jpg
Loggia di raffaello, 11, 03.jpg
Loggia di raffaello, 11, 01.jpg
Loggia di raffaello, 11, 02.jpg
David Sees BathshebaThe Triumph of DavidSamuel Anointing DavidDavid and Goliath
Bay XII - Solomon
Loggia di raffaello, 12, 04.jpg
Loggia di raffaello, 12, 03.jpg
Loggia di raffaello, 12, 01.jpg
Loggia di raffaello, 12, 02.jpg
The Construction of the TempleSolomon and the Queen of ShebaThe Consecration of Solomon by ZadokThe Judgement of Solomon
Bay XIII - Jesus
Loggia di raffaello, 13, 03.jpg
Loggia di raffaello, 13, 04.jpg
Loggia di raffaello, 13, 01.jpg
Loggia di raffaello, 13, 02.jpg
The Baptism of ChristThe Last SupperThe NativityThe Adoration of the Magi


See also

Notes

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