The tiny Cappella Niccolina, which was built as a private chapel for Pope Nicholas V (r. 1447-55), is located in one of the oldest parts of the Palazzo Apostolico in Vatican City. In historical documents, the chapel is described as 'parva et secreta' (small and secret).
Pope Nicholas V commissioned the great Florentine artist Fra Angelico (c. 1395-1455) to paint the frescoes in the chapel, which depict scenes from the lives of St. Stephen (upper level) and St. Lawrence (lower level).
The Capture and Stoning of St Stephen by Fra Angelico