The Raphael Loggias at the Hermitage
The Raphael Loggias are a gallery unique in Russia: a faithful copy of the famous Vatican gallery painted after Raphael’s designs. They are in Room 227, in a wing built specially along the Winter Canal.
What it is
In the Vatican Palace there is an open gallery (a loggia) whose vaults Raphael and his pupils decorated in the early 16th century: 52 biblical scenes — from the Creation to the Last Supper — together with intricate ornamental “grotesques”. Catherine the Great, having seen engravings of these frescoes, was seized with the idea of repeating the gallery in Saint Petersburg.
How the copy was made
The project was realised by the architect Giacomo Quarenghi, who built the wing in 1783–1792. He travelled to Rome and took exact measurements of the Vatican gallery, while a team of artists made copies of the frescoes in tempera on canvas, which were then installed on the vaults and walls of the Saint Petersburg wing. The masters repeated all 52 biblical scenes and the finest ornament, so that the gallery is almost indistinguishable from the Roman original. So Saint Petersburg gained its “Vatican loggias” without anyone having to travel to Rome.
The Petersburg wing also reproduces the form of the gallery: a long, light corridor of several arched bays, their vaults covered entirely with painting. The 52 biblical scenes on the vaults are often called “Raphael’s Bible” — a brief retelling of sacred history in pictures. The walls and piers are filled with grotesques — light, fantastic ornaments of birds, garlands and masks that Raphael revived from ancient Roman models.
The Vatican original
The original loggias are in the Apostolic Palace of the Vatican: in the early 16th century the open gallery was decorated by Raphael and his pupils (the delicate grotesques were the work of Giovanni da Udine). Raphael did not live to see the frescoes finished, and much was completed by masters of his circle — but the conception and designs are his. The grotesques were inspired by the recently discovered underground rooms of the ancient Roman “Golden House” of Nero, which gives them their fantastic lightness.
Why it is interesting
It is a rare case where architecture and painting are copied whole, as a single ensemble — a kind of “museum within a museum”. The Loggias belong to the Italian Renaissance collection and pair well with a visit to the Raphael room and the neighbouring Knights’ Hall (Room 243).
What to look for
- Raise your eyes to the vaults — that is where “Raphael’s Bible” of 52 scenes unfolds.
- Study the grotesques on the walls: among the scrolls hide birds, masks, garlands and fantastic creatures.
- Take in the effect of the gallery itself — a long enfilade of arches receding into the distance, as in the Vatican.
How to find it
Room 227 is on the first floor, in the wing by the Winter Canal. Find your bearings with the floor plan; to fit the Loggias into your visit, see the one-day itinerary.
FAQ
Which room number are the Raphael Loggias? Room 227, on the first floor.
Are these genuine frescoes by Raphael? No — they are faithful copies of the Vatican frescoes, made in tempera on canvas, commissioned by Catherine the Great.
Who built the gallery? The architect Giacomo Quarenghi, in 1783–1792, repeating the dimensions of the Vatican loggia.
What is “Raphael’s Bible”? The 52 Old and New Testament scenes on the vaults — from the Creation to the Last Supper.
This is an unofficial, informational website. The availability of rooms changes — confirm details on the official museum website.