Painted by Raphael in 1514–1515 on a papal commission, 'The Ecstasy of Saint Cecilia' depicts the patron saint of music at the moment she lowers the portative organ from which she has been playing, to listen in rapture to a celestial choir of angels above. Saints Paul, John the Evangelist, Augustine, and Mary Magdalene stand in contemplative silence beside her, while at her feet a disarray of abandoned musical instruments signals the triumph of heavenly over earthly music. Installed in the church of San Giovanni in Monte in Bologna in 1518, it has become a symbol of the city and is today the signature work of the Pinacoteca Nazionale di Bologna.

Exhibition Venue

Pinacoteca Nazionale di Bologna

Bologna, Italy