Vatican museums. Part II.

After an incredible amount of art and history, ages and nations, egyptians, assyrs and romans in each room and over each step, I arrived in the “stanza della segnatura”. An astonishing and powerful maelstorm of colours and perspective lines hit me. And my soul. I was admiring Raffaello’s painting. The way he used the colours was unique. They are different from the other reinassance artists. They look so modern.

This room was thinked as a metaphor of the Roman Catholic Church (do not forget, we are in the Vatican; here the Pope was and is still the king!): on one side the School of Athens, which represent the Truth of the human thought with all its ancient philosophers: Aristoteles indicates the ground, where the truth could be discovered, while talking to Plato that address the sky where the Moral law is written. All around the ancient philosophers I studied in my Liceo (secondary school). On the other side of the room there is the 3 levels of beatitude: a cross-like formation in wich there are God himself, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and the Angels, the saints, the Popes. Even characters of the Italian literature like Dante. In a corner, demi-hidden, there is the painter himself too.

Well, actually the room is full of many wonderful affreschi by Raffaello. Allegories, Cardinal virtues, historical events and mithologies (“in hoc signo vinces” - with this sign you shall conquer ). Too much to be described. Too short the time to look at them.