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Which Vatican rooms did Raphael decorate for Julius II?
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Julius II
Julius II, contemporary medallion; in the coin collection of the Vatican Library.
Pope Julius II commissioned the artist Raphael to decorate a suite of rooms in the Vatican papal apartments known as the Stanze.1
Specifically, Raphael was commissioned to decorate the following rooms for Julius II:
- Stanza della Segnatura (1508ā1511): This room features some of Raphaelās most famous works, including the School of Athens and the Disputa, which explore themes of philosophy and theology.12
- Stanza dāEliodoro (1512ā1514): This room contains frescoes portraying specific miraculous events in the history of the church, such as The Liberation of St. Peter and The Expulsion of Heliodorus from the Temple, which serve as a political biography of the pope.12
While Raphael also designed the frescoes for the third room, the Stanza dellāIncendio, these were largely executed by his assistants and pupils after the death of Julius II.1