Vatican Museums

Gallery of Tapestries

This wonderful room shows us tapestries, mainly woven in Brussels by the workshop of Pieter van Aelst, in the time of Clement VII (1523-1534). They were made following the design of cartons of the disciples of Rafael.

These so-called Cartons are a group of seven large models for tapestries designed exclusively for the Sistine Chapel. They are currently preserved in London. In their content, they mainly illustrate biblical scenes known as The Acts of the Apostles. It is called "Cartons" because they are specific paintings that serve as a model or templates for the weaving of carpets and carpets.

The tapestries we now see were exhibited for the first time in 1531 in the Sistine Chapel and in 1838 they were prepared for placement in this gallery.