The painting was part of Raphael's commission to decorate the rooms that are now known as the Stanze di Raffaello, in the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican. It depicts Pope Leo IV halting a fire in 847 with a benediction from a balcony in front of the Old St. Peter's Basilica.
The painting was commissioned by Raphael to decorate the Stanze di Raffaello rooms within the Vatican Apostolic Palace, depicting Pope Leo IV extinguishing a fire in 847 while offering a blessing from a balcony overlooking the Old St. Peter's Basilica.