The Stanza di Eliodoro (Room of Heliodorus) was set up by Julius II (r. 1503-13) for the private audiences the Pope would grant to important political, religious and diplomatic dignitaries. The frescoes, which were executed between 1511 and 1514 by Raphael, were designed to reflect the importance of the room's purpose and the meetings that took place there. The general theme of the pictorial decoration is the protection bestowed by God on the Church.
The room takes its name from the fresco of the Expulsion of Heliodorus from the Temple, which depicts the angels expelling Heliodorus, who had come to steal from the Temple of Jerusalem.
The Mass at Bolsena
The other three wall frescoes depict the Mass at Bolsena, the Liberation of St Peter and the Meeting of Pope Leo the Great and Attila.
The fresco of TheMass at Bolsena depicts the miracle that is said to have taken place in 1263 in Bolsena, a small lakeside town about 90 kms north of Rome. A Bohemian priest, who was troubled by doubts about the doctrine of transubstantiation, was celebrating mass in the church of Santa Cristina, when the host started to bleed. The drops of blood fell onto the corporal, the white altar cloth, creating the sign of the Cross. The priest's doubts were swept aside and the corporal was transferred to the cathedral at nearby Orvieto.
The Liberation of St Peter
The fresco of The Liberation of St Peter depicts the Apostle being freed from prison with the help of an angel.
The Meeting of Pope Leo Great and Attila
The fresco of The Meeting of Pope Leo the Great and Attila depicts the moment in 452 when, according to legend, St Peter and St Paul -- brandishing swords --appeared during a meeting between Leo I (r. 440-61) and Attila the Hun, thereby persuading the king of the Huns not to attack Rome.
The Vault
The four frescoes of the vault represent episodes of divine intervention in the history of Israel: the Burning Bush, the Announcement of the Flood to Noah, Jacob's Dream and the Sacrifice of Isaac.