- Shahad Bakerman
The Raphael Replicas
Speaking of Russia..
The Raphael Loggias, a permanent exhibit at the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia. Ordered by Empress Catherine II in the 1780's, these beautifully painted walls are an exact replica of the Gallery in the papal palace in the Vatican.
The original Vatican paintings were sketched by the famous Italian painter and architect Rafael, hence the name of the Exhibit. .