Raphael Rooms

A suite of four reception rooms in the papal apartments decorated with frescoes by Raphael and his workshop in the early 16th century. The finest is the room containing the School of Athens, a grand composition gathering the philosophers of antiquity beneath soaring architecture. The other chambers depict theological and historical scenes central to Renaissance humanism. Visited as part of the museum route toward the Sistine Chapel, the rooms are regarded as a summit of High Renaissance painting.