A Raphael Tapestry for the Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo
Saint Paul Preaching in Athens
As of August 4th, a new tapestry has been on display in the Hall of the Popes at the Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo. It is titled Saint Paul Preaching at Athens and is part of the celebrated series of tapestries illustrating the Acts of the Apostles, commissioned by Pope Leo X (1513–1521) to decorate the walls of the Sistine Chapel. The tapestries were woven between 1515 and 1521 by Flemish workshops based on preparatory cartoons by Raphael Sanzio (1483–1520) and his workshop.
The tapestry illustrates one of the most famous episodes in the story of Paul, drawn from the Acts of the Apostles. It depicts the moment when Saint Paul, who was in Athens preaching the coming of the Lord, stood up in the Areopagus, the place where justice was administered, to speak to the Athenians about the nature of God, the Resurrection of Christ, and the repentance of the faithful (Acts 17:16–34).
Documents attest that the tapestry arrived at the Vatican by the end of 1521. It was looted during the Sack of Rome in 1527 and was subsequently returned to the Pope in 1554 by the Constable of France, Anne de Montmorency. This is documented by the coat of arms and inscription in the lower section of the lateral border, which was altered before the tapestry was returned to the Vatican.
The upper section of the tapestry’s lateral border retains the Medici coat of arms, together with the allegory figure of Fame and Hercules bearing the celestial globe. Part of the lower border, meanwhile, was rewoven with scenes drawn from the subsequent chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, recounting Saint Paul’s arrival in Corinth. These scenes echo the theme of the principal composition: the preaching and dissemination of the word of Christ among the Gentiles.