The building of the Pinacoteca of the Vatican Museums was completed in 1931 and was commissioned by Pope Pius XI (1922-1939) to rearrange a collection of paintings, which had previously belonged to various popes, begun by Pius VI (1775-1799).
Many of the paintings exhibited were transported to Paris by Napoleon in 1797, but were then returned following the Congress of Vienna (1815) also through the intercession of the sculptor Antonio Canova. The works, ranging from the Middle Ages to 1800, are exhibited in chronological order in eighteen rooms.
The palace was built in a part of the Square Garden, isolated and completely surrounded by avenues, in a place deemed suitable thanks to the excellent presence of light capable of enhancing the aesthetic value of the works. Before the art gallery the works were often moved between the various apostolic palaces as they did not have a fixed location, so its construction also served to resolve the issue.
Pius VI managed to create a prestigious collection of 118 paintings around 1790, but it was short-lived since, following the Treaty of Tolentino stipulated in 1797, some of the greatest masterpieces were transferred to Paris.
The modern art gallery, intended as an exhibition open to the public, was born only after the fall of Napoleon, precisely in 1817, which was followed by the restitution of some works according to the directives of the Congress of Vienna. Thanks to numerous donations and acquisitions, the collection continued to grow over the years reaching the current number of about 460 paintings, exhibited in the eighteen rooms according to a chronological order.
The works range from those defined as "Primitive" (XII-XIII century) to those of the XIX century. The collection of paintings can boast masterpieces by some of the greatest Italian artists, such as Giotto, Raphael, Leonardo, Caravaggio and many others.
Pinacoteca of the Vatican Museums
Address: VA, Cdad. del Vaticano, 00120
Phone: 06 69883332
Site:
https://www.vaticanstate.va/it/monumenti/musei-vaticani/pinacoteca.htmlLocation inserted by
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