Pinturicchio’s frescoes in the Borgia apartments at the Vatican: Biblical imagery

in the representation of Roman Popes as political figures

Researchers cannot agree on the interpretation of the programme of the murals in

the Borgia apartments executed by Pinturicchio in the 90s of the 15th century. Egyptian

sub-jects, Turkish motifs, the theme of the salvific role of the Church, the Aragonese

origin of the customer, etc., are on a display in the interior of the apartments in the

Apostolic Palace. The frescoes were commissioned by Alexander VI (Rodrigo Borgia), one

of the most odious Popes of the Renaissance. This paper focuses on the political aspect

of the frescoes, particularly on the theme of the triumph of the Church as an

institution. Pinturicchio’s painting was used to visualize the public image of Rodrigo

Borgia with dominant motifs of Pope’s leadership in the Christian world. The pontificate

of Alexander VI, the ‘warrior of Christ’, in whose hands both spiritual and secular

powers were united, was glorified in the church history, and it is presented here as

Borgia’s triumph. Such a public image was in line with other representa-tions of Roman

pontiffs and secular rulers of Western Europe. It was created in the context of

political confrontation of the Holy See with powerful royal houses of Italy, French

kings, etc. We can thus talk not only about the visual programme of the apartments per

se, but also about its connection with other imagery presenting Popes as political

figures and created for Alexander VI’s predecessors as well as for his successors.