Who painted Plan of the Cortile Belvedere?

Plan of the Cortile Belvedere was painted by Italian 16th Century in 1565.

Where can I see Plan of the Cortile Belvedere?

Plan of the Cortile Belvedere is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Plan of the Cortile Belvedere?

Plan of the Cortile Belvedere is associated with Renaissance.

Artwork

Plan of the Cortile Belvedere

Italian 16th Century , 1565

Plan of the Cortile Belvedere is an ink print by the Renaissance artist Italian 16th Century. It dates from 1565 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

Inscription: Inscribed:Lettered UC: "Fu dalla fe. me. di Giulio 2o fatto un Corridore per l'uso di andare dal sacro Palazzo apostollico al luogo detto Belvedere [...] e dara alli posteri vero testimonio la bellissima giostra fattavi questo Carnevale del Anno 1565 per comsecratione del luogo et per honorare le Nozze dell'Ill.mo Conte Annibale Altemps et Ill.ma S.ra Ortensia Borromea quale in altri fogli si e posta in luce." and "Ant.s Lafreri Romae An. 1565"

About this work

Look up the National Gallery of Art, Washington, to see this plan in person.

This etching shows a bird’s-eye plan of the Vatican’s Cortile Belvedere. Straight lines divide the space into neat rectangles. Staircases zigzag between levels. The print is small, about the size of a sheet of paper.

It was made in 1565 by an Italian artist named Antonio Lafreri. He copied Donato Bramante’s design for Pope Julius II. The plan helped builders follow the layout exactly.

Look up the National Gallery of Art, Washington, to see this plan in person.

Overview

The Plan of the Cortile Belvedere is a 16th‑century etching measuring roughly 53 by 32 centimetres. Executed by the Italian printmaker Antonio Lafreri in 1565, the work presents a bird’s‑eye schematic of the Vatican’s Upper Courtyard, including its stairways and rectangular divisions.

Subject & Meaning

The image reproduces the architectural scheme devised by Donato Bramante for Pope Julius II’s Cortile Belvedere, illustrating how the courtyard and its connecting staircases were intended to be organized within the papal palace complex.

Technique & Style

Lafreri employed the etching process, incising fine lines onto a copper plate to render the plan’s precise geometry. The resulting print displays clean, orthogonal lines that delineate the courtyard’s spaces and the zigzagging staircases with a clarity suited to technical drawing.

History & Provenance

Created in 1565, the etching served as a practical reference for builders executing Bramante’s design. It later entered the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, where it is currently held.