Intended as an introduction to the art of Renaissance Rome, this narrative history is structured chronologically, from around 1300 to 1600, and describes the monuments, artists and patrons that were regarded by their contemporaries as the most important. Michelangelo and Raphael are among the dominant figures in this story, and works such as Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel frescos and Raphael’s School of Athens in the Vatican Palace remain some of the most celebrated in Renaissance art.