Coffered Ceiling Self-researched

Location: Santa Maria Maggiore, Rome
Medium: Gilded and carved wood
Date: c. 1493–1500

The magnificent coffered ceiling of the central nave, traditionally attributed to Giuliano da Sangallo, was commissioned by Pope Alexander VI Borgia. According to tradition, it was gilded with the first gold brought from the Americas by Christopher Columbus, presented to the Pope by Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain.