Cortile del Belvedere (Belvedere Courtyard), Rome

The Belvedere Courtyard, located within the Vatican Palace in Rome, stands as a significant architectural masterpiece of the High Renaissance. Designed by Donato Bramante starting in 1505, its innovative concept and intricate details influenced the design of courtyards, formal squares, and gardens across Western Europe. The Belvedere court was conceived as a unified enclosed space, connecting the Vatican Palace with the Villa Belvedere through a series of terraces linked by stairs. Narrow wings flanked the sides, completing its composition.

When Bramante passed away in 1514, the courtyard remained unfinished. It was later completed by Pirro Ligorio for Pope Pius IV between 1562 and 1565. Ligorio's additions included a third story to the grand open-headed exedra on the highest terrace. This enclosure formed a vast half-dome, known as the nicchione or "great niche," which stands as the largest niche constructed since ancient times. Today, the nicchione can be admired from various elevated viewpoints throughout Rome.

Unfortunately, the unity of the Cortile was disrupted by Sixtus V between 1585 and 1590 when he constructed a wing for the Vatican Library. This addition occupied the former middle terrace, dividing the space. Some scholars, like James Ackerman, propose that this deliberate alteration aimed to conceal the secular and pagan aspects of the Cortile, as Pope Adrian VI had referred to the collection of sculptures housed there as "idols." While the lowest terrace is still known as the Cortile del Belvedere, the separated upper terrace is now called the Cortile della Pigna, named after the Pigna, a large bronze pinecone mounted within the nicchione. The Pigna is believed to have been the finial of Emperor Hadrian's tomb or, according to medieval beliefs, a marker for the turning point in the hippodrome where many Christians were martyred.

In 1990, a sculpture titled "Sfera con Sfera" (Sphere within a Sphere) by Arnaldo Pomodoro was installed in the center of the upper courtyard, adding a contemporary artistic touch to this historic space.