RAFFAELLO Sanzio
(b. 1483, Urbino, d. 1520, Roma)

The Coronation of Charlemagne

1516-17
Fresco, width at the base 670 cm
Stanza dell'Incendio di Borgo, Palazzi Pontifici, Vatican

Charlemagne was crowned by Leo III in AD 800 in the Vatican Basilica. In the fresco the Emperor has the features of the French king, Francis I, who had been on the throne since 1515. The reason for this is that Leo X, unlike his predecessor, was seeking a political alliance with the French, and this was a way of honoring Francis I.




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