The Donation of Constantine

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The Donation of Constantine
Gianfrancesco Penni or Giulio Romano, 1520-1524
Fresco
? × ? cm
Apostolic Palace, Vatican City

The Donation of Constantine is a painting by assistants of the Italian renaissance artist Raphael. It was most likely painted by Gianfrancesco Penni or Giulio Romano, somewhere between 1520 and 1524. After the master's death in 1520, they worked together with other members of Raphael's workshop to finish the commission to decorate with frescoes the rooms that are now known as the Stanze di Raffaello, in the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican. The Donation of Constantine is located in the Sala di Costantino ("Hall of Constantine"). It was inspired by the famous forged documents that granted the Popes sovereignty over their territorial dominions.