The frescoes in the Sala dei Chiaroscuri were commissioned by Pope Leo X (r, 1513-21), designed by Raphael and executed by members of his studio. The room is named after the monochrome (chiaroscuro) paintings of apostles and saints.
The room was also known as the Sala del Pappagallo, because, for centuries, a caged parrot (pappagallo) was kept there. This name is commemorated by a painting of a parrot above the door leading to the Sala degli Svizzeri (Room of the Swiss Guards).