THE FIRE IN THE BORGO BY RAPHAEL

The fresco in the room is named after, The Fire in the Borgo, was painted in 1514 and shows how Leo IV had miraculously extinguished a fire in the Roman quarter known as Borgo. And you've probably noticed that Raphael's style has changed again in this room: the figures are clearly inspired by classical art, and if you know the story of the Aeneid, the reference to Aeneas fleeing from the fire of Troy while carrying his father is quite clear. The scene and the atmosphere may seem a little rhetorical, but in exchange for this you'll likely be enchanted by the crystalline sense of color and the refined representation of beauty, especially in the women trying to extinguish the fire.

Keep in mind that this is the only fresco in the third room that was painted by Raphael: the other three were made by collaborators in his workshop, including the increasingly well-known Giulio Romano, the future master of Palazzo Te in Mantua. Over the years Raphael began to take on the role of supervisor, which left him more time to address his interests in architecture, archaeology, and the protection of artistic heritage: he was appointed superintendent of antiquities with the task of guarding and organizing the archaeological collections that accumulated in the Vatican.