The Vatican is embarking on a significant restoration effort for one of the most intricately decorated areas within its Apostolic Palace. This passageway, known as Raphael’s Loggia, has been walked by popes and presidents and is attributed to the Renaissance master Raphael.
On Wednesday, the Vatican Museums announced the commencement of a five-year restoration project with a budget of $5.5 million. The goal is to clean and restore the Raphael Loggia, a corridor measuring 65 meters in length and 4 meters in width. It is hailed as a pinnacle of Renaissance figurative art.
While the loggia overlooks the San Damaso courtyard, it is not open to public visitors. However, those visiting the pope or Secretariat of State have the opportunity to walk along it, witnessing biblical scenes alongside botanical motifs in painting and stucco.
Pope Leo XIV, who has private apartments on the floor above, frequently traverses the corridor for audiences. Raphael’s decoration, devised between 1517 and 1519, remains one of his final commissions for Pope Leo X. This work joins his other masterpieces within the Vatican Museums, such as the recently restored Raphael Rooms and his famous tapestries.
The passageway’s 13 arched bays are considered an extraordinary example of figurative painting. They have inspired replicas elsewhere, including the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia. Unfortunately, until 1813, the loggia was exposed to the elements, leading to damage over time. Paolo Violini, responsible for painting restoration at the Vatican Museums, noted that even after windows were installed, the artworks suffered due to trapped heat and humidity, making them exceptionally delicate.
Restorers will employ hand-held lasers for cleaning and restoring the stucco and wall paintings. They will use a “dry” cleaning technique to avoid damage from water-soluble paints. The restoration is a collaborative project with the World Monuments Fund and is financed by the Stephen A. Schwarzman Foundation, a New York-based philanthropy.
During Wednesday’s press conference, Schwarzman revealed that his foundation’s overall contribution is over $14 million. This includes $5.5 million for restoration and additional funds for digitizing images of the loggia, creating a documentary about the renovation, and supporting a training program for art restorers at a Swiss university.
The Vatican plans to replace the arched windows within the loggia with special glass designed to filter harmful sun rays alongside the restoration efforts.
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