The Mass at Bolsena

The Mass at Bolsena is a fresco by the Italian Renaissance artist Raphael, painted between 1512 and 1514 as part of his commission to decorate the rooms in the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican now known as the Raphael Rooms. Located in the Stanza di Eliodoro, the fresco depicts the medieval legend of a doubting priest at Bolsena whose consecrated host began to bleed during Mass, an event traditionally credited with confirming the doctrine of transubstantiation and inspiring the feast of Corpus Christi. Pope Julius II is shown kneeling in prayer before the altar as a witness to the miracle, a composition that reinforced the authority of the papacy at a time of religious challenge. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/