Hall of the Chariot
Pio Clementino Museum
Vatican City
Rome Italy
2016


Hall of the Chariot
This hall was designed by the architect Giuseppe Camporese at the same time as he built the Atrium of the Four Gates on the floor below. The work, begun in 1786, was completed in 1795 with the paving of the floor, in which elements of the coat-of-arms of Pope Pius VI Braschi (the stars and the Boreal wind blowing on lilies) can be seen.

In this hall statues and sarcophagi depict scenes from athletic competitions and circus games, which include discus throwing, wrestling, and chariot races. The antique works, positioned in the niches, or atop bases and altars, are arranged around a monumental marble chariot which occupies the centre of the area.



The two-horse chariot
This splendid work is made up of both antique parts and restoration work by Francesco Antonio Franzoni in 1788. The sculptor assembled the antique pieces of the chariot and one of the horses, then carved a second horse (the one on the left) and brought back to life a sculpture which can be considered as one of his masterpieces. The body of the chariot was used as the episcopal throne in the church of St Mark in Rome from at least 1516; it remained in the church until 1771 when it was given to Pope Clement XIV. On the outside of the chariot the lively decoration with poppies and ears of wheat is analogous with other figurative works from the Augustan period, such as the decoration of the Ara Pacis. Inside the chariot, at the centre, is the image of the Agyieus, the tapered column which is the iconic image of Apollo Agyieus, the protector of the streets.



Pio Clementino Museum
The nucleus of the pontifical collections of classical sculpture dates back to the original collection of pope Julius II (1503-1513) which was housed in the Cortile delle Statue (today the Octagonal Court). During the second half of the 18th century the pontifical collections were enormously expanded both as a result of excavations being carried out in Rome and Lazio, and by donations from collectors and antiquaries. The influence of Enlightenment thinking resulted in the inauguration of a museum in the modern sense, open to the public and explicitly charged with the task of safeguarding antique works of art, and promoting the study and understanding of them. The Museum is called Pio Clementino after the two popes who oversaw its foundation, Clement XIV Ganganelli (1769-1774) and Pius VI Braschi (1775-1799). The museum fills several large exhibition halls which were obtained by adapting pre-existing rooms with new constructions both within and adjacent to the small Belvedere Palace of Innocent VIII (1484-92). Antique sculpture was brought here and ancient roman pieces have often had their missing parts completely restored. The neo-classical architecture was realised under the direction of Alessandro Dori, Michelangelo Simonetti, and Giuseppe Camporese and embellished by the work of a large number of painters and decorators.
With the Treaty of Tolentino (1797) the Papal States were forced to give up the principal masterpieces in the Museum to Napoleon and they were transported to Paris. Much later, following the defeat of Napoleon and the Congress of Vienna (1815), and thanks to the diplomatic efforts of Antonio Canova, the greater part of the works were recovered.