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How did Giotto organize the frescoes inside the Arena Chapel?

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Giotto: Lamentation — Giotto *Lamentation*, fresco by Giotto, 1303–05; in the Arena Chapel, Padua, Italy.

Giotto organized the fresco cycle within the Arena Chapel in Padua through a highly structured, multi-tiered narrative arrangement.12

The interior walls are divided into three horizontal narrative bands that unfold chronologically, typically read from left to right. These tiers depict the following sequence:13
* Top Tier: Scenes from the lives of Saints Joachim and Anne.12
* Middle and Lower Tiers: The life of the Virgin and the life and Passion of Christ, concluding with Pentecost.132

In addition to these narrative bands, the chapel features specific thematic elements:
* West Wall: A large-scale depiction of the Last Judgment covers the entire wall.12
* Chancel Arch: Features the Annunciation.12
* Lowest Register: Below the three narrative rows, Giotto included a fourth band containing monochrome personifications of the Virtues and Vices.12