The Vatican Museums – Highlight Tours - School Travel

the decision, but only await the result of the Judgement. The Saints and the Elect, arranged aroundChrist and the Virgin, also anxiously await the verdict. Some of them can be easily recognized: StPeter with the two keys, St Laurence with the gridiron, St Bartholomew with his own skin which isusually recognized as being a self-portrait of Michelangelo, St Catherine of Alexandria with thecogwheel and St Sebastian kneeling holding the arrows. In the centre of the lower section are theangels of the Apocalypse who are wakening the dead to the sound of long trumpets. On the left therisen recover their bodies as they ascend towards heaven (Resurrection of the flesh), on the rightangels and devils fight over making the damned fall down to hell. Finally, at the bottom Charon withhis oars, together with his devils, makes the damned get out of his boat to lead them before theinfernal judge Minos, whose body is wrapped in the coils of the serpent. The reference in this part tothe Inferno of Dante Alighieri's Divina Commedia is clear. As well as praise, the Last Judgement alsocaused violent reactions among the contemporaries. For example the Master of Ceremonies Biagioda Cesena said that "it was most dishonest in such an honoured place to have painted so manynude figures who so dishonestly show their shame and that it was not a work for a Chapel of thePope but for stoves and taverns" (G. Vasari, Le Vite). The controversies, that continued for years,led in 1564 to the decision by the Congregation of the Council of Trent to have some of the figures ofthe Judgement that were considered "obscene" covered. The task of painting the covering drapery,the so-called "braghe" (pants) was given to Daniele da Volterra, since then known as the"braghettone". Daniele's "braghe" were only the first and in fact others were added in the followingcenturies.Raphael's RoomsSchool of Athens (Raphael)The most famous philosophers of ancient times move within an imposing Renaissancearchitecture which is inspired by Bramante's project for the renewal of the early ChristianBasilica of St Peter. Some of these are easily recognizable. In the centre Plato points upwardswith a finger and holds his book Timeus in his hand, flanked by Aristotle with Ethics;Pythagoras is shown in the foreground intent on explaining the diatesseron. Diogenes is lyingon the stairs with a dish, while the pessimist philosopher, Heracleitus, a portrait ofMichelangelo, is leaning against a block of marble, writing on a sheet of paper. Michelangelowas in those years executing the paintings in the nearby Sistine Chapel. On the right we seeEuclid, who is teaching geometry to his pupils, Zoroaster holding the heavenly sphere andPtolemy holding the earthly sphere. The personage on the extreme right with the black beret isa self-portrait of Raphael.