Cappella di San Brizio

The Chapel of San Brizio in Orvieto Cathedral contains a monumental fresco cycle by Fra Angelico and Luca Signorelli. Its images of the Apocalypse and the Last Judgment are among the defining works of Renaissance painting in Umbria.

Why it matters

The chapel brings together two generations of painters. Fra Angelico began the decoration in 1447, painting Christ as Judge and the prophets on the vault. Luca Signorelli resumed the project in 1499 and completed the narrative scenes on the walls.

What to notice

Fra Angelico's vault presents Christ enthroned among the saints. Signorelli's wall paintings depict the preaching of the Antichrist, the end of the world and the Universal Judgment. The expressive figures and complex crowd scenes made a lasting impression on later painters, including Michelangelo.

Context and history

Tommaso di Micheluccio's bequest of 1396 funded the chapel, which was completed in 1444 and originally dedicated to the Assumption. It took the name San Brizio in 1622, when the Madonna di San Brizio panel was moved there. After Fra Angelico's departure for Rome, work paused for several decades before Signorelli's commission.