Constantine on Horseback in the Vatican Museum, Dec. 2003

From the Room of Constantine

The room, that was designed to be used for receptions and official ceremonies, was decorated by the school of Raphael on the basis of drawings by the artist, who died prematurely before completion of the work (1520). It takes its name from Constantine (306-337 A.D.), the first Christian emperor to officially recognize the Christian faith, granting freedom of worship. On the walls are painted four episodes of his life which testify to the defeat of paganism and the triumph of the Christian religion: the Vision of the Cross, the Battle of Constantine against Maxentius, the Baptism of Constantine and the Donation of Rome. The decoration of the room is completed by figures of great Popes flanked by allegorical figures of Virtue. The original wooden roof which Leo X (pontiff from 1513 to 1521) had built was replaced under Gregory XIII (pontiff from 1572 to 1585) by the modern ceiling, the decoration of which was entrusted by order of the Pope to Tommaso Laureti who portrayed the Triumph of the Christian religion in the central panel. The work was completed at the end of 1585 under Pope Sixtus V (pontiff from 1585 to 1590).

Text from: mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/SDR/SDR_01_SalaCost.html

Battle of Constantine against Maxentius

The Battle of the Pons Milvius ( 312 A.D.) placed Constantine against his rival, marking the defeat of Maxentius (shown as he is about to drown in the river Tiber) and the victory of Christianity over the pagan world. The scene is set with topographical precision north of Rome with Monte Mario (on the left) where we can recognize Villa Madama, built in just those years by Raphael for the Pope. The initial project for this panel, as for the Vision of the Cross, must certainly have been by Raphael, but its execution is by his pupil Giulio Romano.

Text from: mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/x-Schede/SDRs/SDRs_01_02_004.html