Pinacoteca Vaticana, Picture gallery in Vatican City.
The Pinacoteca Vaticana is a painting gallery in Vatican City housing over 450 artworks displayed across eighteen rooms. The collection is arranged chronologically to show the evolution of painting from medieval times through the 19th century, with notable works by Italian masters.
The gallery was established in 1932 under Pope Pius XI to house paintings that had been scattered throughout the Apostolic Palaces. Many works were taken to Paris during the Napoleonic period and were returned to Vatican City following the upheaval of those years.
The gallery contains works by Italian masters including Giotto, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, and Caravaggio, representing the evolution of painting techniques across centuries.
The rooms are maintained with special lighting and temperature controls to protect the artworks from damage. The chronological arrangement allows visitors to follow the evolution of painting naturally as they move through the gallery.
During the Napoleonic period, many paintings were transported to Paris, but returned to Vatican City following agreements at the Congress of Vienna in 1817.
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