The Raphael Loggias are a separate gallery of the Hermitage, an exact copy of the Vatican Loggias. Catherine II commissioned the copies in 1778 from the Roman painter Christoph Unterberger. Thirteen arcades, 52 biblical scenes drawn from Raphael's 1517–1519 cartoons, unified by grotesque ornament.
🎨 What to see
52 scenes from the Old Testament (Creation through to the prophet Samuel) and New Testament (Christ, Apostles). Each occupies an arched bay. Between them run grotesques — birds, masks, figurines, plant ornament. That antique motif was revived by Raphael after the excavation of Nero's Golden House in Rome.
🗺 Finding it
The gallery sits in the New Hermitage, parallel to the Winter Canal. Enter via the main Hermitage building through the Hanging Garden, or from Millionnaya Street. Room 227 on the Hermitage plan. Often included in Italian-painting routes with the Leonardo and Raphael halls.
🚕 Where next
From the Loggias the Raphael and Titian rooms are a short walk. For an evening return, a RideClu transfer is practical.
🛏 Where to stay
Apartments by Palace Square — bookable on Tutkakdoma.
If this is your first time in St Petersburg, bear two things in mind. Distances between the main sights are short, but autumn daylight is brief and rain arrives on no schedule. Plan your route around the lit half of the day, allow half an hour of buffer between stops, and bring a thermos and gloves for the evening. For palaces and museums keep a passport on you — some ticket desks ask for ID, especially at timed exhibitions.
On the ground, walking is easiest between adjacent blocks, with short taxi hops when it gets dark or wet. If you are travelling as a group or with children, arrange the evening transfer back to your flat ahead of time — late-night fares spike. Flats in the centre go fast at weekends: book a week ahead for Nevsky, the Petrograd Side or Vasilievsky.
St Petersburg rewards half-day visits rather than one long marathon. Pick a theme — a single museum, a district, a walk — and give it time. After the active part, a warm cafe, a bookshop or a swimming pool is as much part of the ritual as the sights themselves, especially in November.
Verified against hermitagemuseum.org on 22 October 2026.
Cover photo: Per source. Please credit "Family photos of Infrogmation", CC BY-SA 4.0, Викисклад
