The Fire in the Borgo

The Fire in the Borgo, created between 1514 and 1517 by the workshop of Raphael, exemplifies High renaissance fresco Fresco techniques and dynamic composition. Likely designed by Raphael but executed by his assistant Giulio Romano, the work decorates the Vatican’s Stanze di Raffaello. It vividly depicts Pope Leo IV halting a fire at Old St. Peter's in 847, capturing various perils through genre scenes of people in frantic action—women carrying water, blinded by smoke, and a weakened old man being carried to safety. The painting blends historical event with genre painting, emphasizing human struggle amid chaos.