Baptism of Constantine
Photogallery
Baptism of Constantine
In the Baptism of Constantine the emperor kneels to receive the sacrament from the hands of Pope Sylvester, bishop of Rome from 314 to 355, inside a structure modelled on the Constantinian Baptistery of the Lateran. The celebrant has the features of Clement VII (pontiff from 1523 to 1534), during whose ministry work on the room was resumed, interrupted by the brief interval of Hadrian VI (1521-1523,) and the last two stories of the cycle (this and the following) were painted. The frescoes are attributed to Giovan Francesco Penni for the figures and to Giulio Romano for some portraits and the architectural setting.