Raphael tapestry on display in Castel Gandolfo

A new tapestry titled "St. Paul's Sermon in Athens" is being exhibited in the Papal Hall of the Apostolic Palace in Castel Gandolfo. The work is part of a famous series dedicated to the Acts of the Apostles, which was originally commissioned by Pope Leo X for the decoration of the Sistine Chapel.

Created between 1515 and 1521 in a Flemish workshop, the tapestry is based on cartoons prepared by Raphael and his workshop. The artwork depicts a well-known episode from the Acts of the Apostles where St. Paul addresses the residents of Athens at the Areopagus regarding the nature of God and the resurrection of Christ.

The tapestry has a significant history; it arrived in the Vatican in late 1521 but was looted during the Sack of Rome in 1527. It was eventually returned to the Pope in 1554 by the French diplomat Anne de Montmorency. Admission to the exhibition is free and included with the price of entry to the Apostolic Palace.