The walls of the chapel present the lives of the two archdeacons in two registers. The upper register, composed of three lunettes, is devoted to St Stephen; the lower one, with rectangular compartments, is given to St Lawrence, who is thus clearly given precedence. The descriptions from the career of St Stephen follow the Golden Legend, those of St Lawrence are patterned after the older cycles in his Roman tomb church of San Lorenzo fuori le Mura.

The two picture cycles begin on the west wall which also has two original window. In the lunette, St Peter, prince of the apostles, is anointing St Stephen, deacon of the church. In the smaller compartment of the lower register, between the two windows, St Sixtus is bestowing the same office on St Lawrence. This lunette also presents a second scene of Stephen distributing alms to the poor.

Preview	Picture Data	Info
	West wall of the chapel 1447-49 Fresco Cappella Niccolina, Palazzi Pontifici, Vatican
	Lunette of the west wall 1447-49 Fresco, 322 x 472 cm Cappella Niccolina, Palazzi Pontifici, Vatican
	St Peter Consacrates Stephen as Deacon 1447-49 Fresco Cappella Niccolina, Palazzi Pontifici, Vatican
	St Peter Consacrates Stephen as Deacon (detail) 1447-49 Fresco Cappella Niccolina, Palazzi Pontifici, Vatican
	St Stephen Distributing Alms 1447-49 Fresco Cappella Niccolina, Palazzi Pontifici, Vatican
	St Stephen Distributing Alms (detail) 1447-49 Fresco Cappella Niccolina, Palazzi Pontifici, Vatican
	Sixtus II Consacrates St Lawrence as Deacon 1447-49 Fresco, 271 x 197 cm Cappella Niccolina, Palazzi Pontifici, Vatican