Gallery of the St. Luke Academy

The National Academy of St. Luke was born of the University of Painters, Miniaturist and Embroiders. The statutes of this University, which had already existed in Rome for quite some time, were renewed during the papacy of Sixtus IV on December 17, 1478 (the original parchment document is kept in the Academy's archives).
The old statutes stated that, "Every member of the Academy must donate a work to be kept in perpetuit". The princes were also required to leave a "fitting gift of their work", and at a later point in time, they were asked to donate portraits of themselves. The result was an Academy gallery first established at the end of the seventeenth century, which now holds over a thousand paintings and scultures, including roughly 500 portraits and a large number of designs.







Raphael:
St.Luke painting the Virgin

The Gallery includes works of Raffaello, Canova, Van Dyck, etc.









                            A.Canova: Socrates saving Alcibiades during the battle of Potidea

Address: Piazza dell'Accademia di San Luca, 77