Rafaël - Pope Leo I Meeting Attila, Related to a Fresco by Raphael in the Vatican, I 508 (PK)

Pope Leo I is shown wearing the papal tiara and riding a horse, gesturing toward an invisible foe while flanked by his mounted attendants. In the upper register, a powerful celestial figure—likely Saint Peter or Saint Paul—floats horizontally, intervening in the historical event. The sketch focuses on the rhythmic arrangement of the horses and the authoritative posture of the Pope.

This work illustrates the concept of 'Defensio Ecclesiae,' where historical events are interpreted as being shaped by divine intervention. It reflects the High Renaissance synthesis of political history and the supernatural, a central theme in the Vatican Stanzas where Raphael reconciled historical narrative with the Neoplatonic idea of spiritual forces acting upon the physical world.