Raffaello, sibille e angeli 00

This fresco is arranged in two tiers: the lower register shows the Cumaean, Persian, Phrygian, and Tiburtine Sibyls in dynamic, twisting poses as angels deliver scrolls and tablets to them. Above a decorative frieze, the prophets Habakkuk, Jonah, David, and Daniel are depicted standing beside a central window, also engaged with prophetic texts. The composition illustrates the transmission of divine knowledge across different eras and cultures through the medium of angelic messengers.

This work embodies the Renaissance Neoplatonic concept of 'Prisca Theologia' (Ancient Theology), which identified a single thread of divine truth shared by both the Hebrew prophets and the pagan Sibyls. By placing these figures together, Raphael visualizes the intellectual synthesis of the Chigi circle and the belief that the coming of Christ was foretold to all of humanity, not just the Jewish tradition.