Vatican Pinacoteca

The Vatican Art Gallery (Pinacoteca) has been part of the Vatican Museums since 1932 when, at the behest of Pope Pius XI, the building was built to house the art gallery. Inside are the works of artists such as Raphael, Caravaggio, Leonardo and Giotto.

The History of the Pinacoteca

In the past the works owned by the Vatican were often moved between the various apostolic palaces and was built by the architect Luca Beltrami a building that knew how to enhance the many Vatican works.

In 1790 the works in the possession of Pius VI were 118 but after the Treaty of Tolentino some of the main masterpieces were transferred to Paris. Some works were returned after the Congress of Vienna and with numerous donations the collection has reached the current number of about 460 paintings.

The rooms of the Pinacoteca

The Pinacoteca Vaticana consists of 18 main rooms in which the works are exhibited in chronological order depending on the school to which they belong.

The first room is dedicated to Italian artists who lived in the Middle Ages, the second is dedicated to Giotto, while in the third there are works by Filippo Lippi and Beato Angelico.
The following rooms contain paintings from the 15th century.

The most important and visited rooms are:

• Room VII with the works of Perugino;
• Room VIII with the works of Raphael;
• Room IX with the works of Leonardo;
• Room X with Venetian painting;
• Room XII with the works of Caravaggio.