Raphael painted the frescoes in the Vatican’s Stanza della Segnatura, the first of the famous Raphael Rooms to be decorated.
Pope Julius II commissioned Raphael to redecorate rooms in the Apostolic Palace around 1508 or 1509. Raphael worked on the Stanza della Segnatura from 1508 to 1511, creating a visual program that connected Christian theology with classical philosophy, poetry, and law. The room probably served as Julius II’s study and library before its later association with the papal tribunal.
Its best-known fresco is The School of Athens, which presents ancient philosophers gathered in an ideal architectural setting. Other major works include The Disputation of the Holy Sacrament and The Parnassus. Together, the walls express Renaissance ideas about the harmony of different branches of knowledge.
A useful distinction is that “Raphael painted the frescoes” refers to the master and his designs, but his workshop assisted increasingly as the larger Raphael Rooms project continued. After Raphael died in 1520, assistants completed parts of the later rooms, especially the Hall of Constantine.