We know well how the so-called Raphael Rooms, in the Vatican Museums, are so full of pictorial wonders, mainly due to the brilliant master of Urbino and his circle, that it is really complicated to have to choose one. Each wall of the rooms has a story to tell, as in this case, but today I would like to focus on one fresco in particular, often seen distractedly, considering that, in the same room, the famous School of Athens is located. Here, then, are curiosities and not only about a fresco in the Stanza della Segnatura, where the pope Julius II wanted to build his private library. Here we have the fresco representing some Virtues and the Law.
The difficulty that Raphael found himself facing was the presence of the window, which somehow breaks up the composition. Above we have three virtues. The Fortress holding the branch of an oak, symbol of the family of birth of Julius II, the Della Rovere one. Then Temperance and then Prudence which, obviously, looks back through a mirror (more prudent than that!). Furthermore, since this fresco is a praise to justice and law, so dear to the pontiff, and as part of a broader program studied by Raphael and not only (there were also scholars, scholars and philosophers of the papal court who always accompanied the artist) who saw this room as the ideal home for Wisdom and knowledge in every field, Raphael added two key figures. On the left, seated on a throne and with the scepter in his hand, here is Justinian (the emperor who fully collected all the precepts of Roman law, contributing to its regulation and widespread diffusion) while on the right there is pope Gregory IX with the shining golden tiara, which instead reformed canon law until the time of Raphael. In short, there is room for civil and divine justice under the aegis of God and the pontiff, his representative on earth. It is precisely the figure of the pontiff, with this long beard and that vaguely distressed and tired look, that strikes us most. In fact, to represent Gregory IX, Raphael does nothing other than portray Julius II himself. It would seem like a way to pay homage to his patron of course, but then why, rather than a righteous and strong pontiff, are we faced with a very old and elderly man who seems to no longer have the strength? Julius II himself was always portrayed by his contemporaries, enemies and friends, as an energetic and resolute man, also capable of leading his troops in battle, a strong-willed man who commanded respect. In reality, Julius II really wanted to be portrayed like this! We are in 1509 and after numerous victories with diplomacy and armies too, Julius II must succumb to Ferrara. The city moved further and further into the French zone of influence, but that time the pope could do nothing. Indeed, in addition to the defeat came the mockery and ridicule, if it is true that Bologna also rebelled against the papal power, so much so that it destroyed a bronze statue representing Julius II (made by Michelangelo) and melted it down to give it to Duke Alfonso d'Este of Ferrara, who made a cannon of it calling it "La Giulia". From that moment Julius II changed his strategy, letting grow a long beard, stating that he would never cut it until the defeat of the French on Italian soil. And so the pontiff wanted to be represented as a sort of martyr, a tired victim who asks for help from his subjects, who lays himself bare to underline the cruelty of the enemy. Excellent propaganda certainly!
This brief excursus on one of Raphael's frescoes in the Stanza della Segnatura takes us back to the dimension most suited to the art of the time. Representation of a particular story, the one desired by the client following his point of view, but also a political and social instrument. In a historic city like Rome it is easy to grasp the meanings, even the most superficial, of works of art of this type. Coming here, to the Raphael Rooms, is certainly not just a pleasure for a tour guide like me but also for all those who love art and want to know as much about it as possible. The Vatican Museums do very well in this…