Take a few steps from Piazza Navona and discover this precious corner that the divine Raphael left to us in Rome.
It is in the church of Santa Maria della Pace, commissioned at the end of the 1400s by Pope Sixtus IV (the same pope that built the Sistine chapel, by the way!)
Agostino Chigi, a rich banker and Raphael’s friend, commissioned Raphael to decorate his chapel.
After all, Raphael already demonstrated to Agostino how good he was.. He in fact already decorated his Villa in Trastevere, which today is called Villa Farnesina. The results were divine!
Here’s a closer look at this masterpiece, tucked inside a small church.
See the video transcript
When in Piazza Navona in Rome, find this little alley. You’re in for a hidden gem that many people miss. Take Via delle Lorenesi, and then turn left. At the end of this alley, you’ll find this little church, Santa Maria della Pace. Now, step inside. The first thing you need to do when inside is looking at your right. This is the Chigi Chapel that the rich banker, Agostino Chigi, commissioned to none other than Raphael. This fresco represents the Sibyls, the female prophets who pre-announced the arrival of Jesus. This is a Raphael fresco that you can simply find by walking inside a church.
📍You’ll find it in Arco della Pace, 5
