Hey, who's the girl taking notes? There are four rooms with murals by Raphael (although his students did a fair bit of the actual painting, Raphael did do most of the design himself).

The borders of the paintings are done in a marble-grey rather than in color in these rooms. Perhaps this is a nod to the marble statuary of bygone days, but it makes for an interesting effect. The subject matter in this edgework isn't exactly Christian, though.

I came to recognize Raphael's particular portrayal of the human body - the anatomic detail of every muscle and fat deposit to the point of being almost a caricature. This room depicts the Fire in the Borgo. According to the church records, the fire broke out in the neighborhood in front of Saint Peter's basilica. Pontiff Leo IV is said to have miraculously extinguished the fire before it reached the church. Legend does not note if his miracle was aided by a bucket brigade and the nearby Tevere river.

The paintings in the room beyond Raphael's room are downright grim. This one depicts a martyr, shortly before officially adopting that double-edged title.

I'm not sure if this painting had notes regarding its subject matter, but the general idea is certainly clear enough.