Pietro Cavallini, Last Judgement, Saint Cecilia church, Rome

The Last Judgement by Pietro Cavallini is one of the most important achievement of painting at end of the XIII century.

The fresco was still completely visible in 1527 when on the counterfacade a choir for the nuns was built. It was then cut into two parts. The lower part was destroyed and the upper one covered.

Between 1723 and 1725 Cardinal Francesco Acquaviva transformed completely the entire building. The new vault caused the distruction of the medieval frescoes on the side walls and the ones on the counterfacade were covered.

Federico Hermaninn, in October 1900, during a site inspection discovered the fresco painted by Cavallini which is now visible reaching the counterfacade via a door at the leften side of the porch just before the entrance of the basilica.

Bibliograpghy and images: A. Tomei, Pietro Cavallini, Silvana Editoriale 2000.