The altar dates from 1759, when Pope Clement XIII consecrated it on October 6th in the second year of his pontificate. The chapel had been renovated by his predecessor, Pope Benedict XIV, who ordered the chapel redecorated before his death in 1758. Work was most recently done on the chapel in the early 1930s during the reign of Pius XI, when Cardinal Pacelli renovated and updated the palace.
I could be wrong, but I believe the papal secretary or guests of honor have typically used this chapel. The pope's personal chapel adjoins his bedroom and is totally separate. The chapel opens to a hallway that connects the rooms of the upper floor of the palace where the papal quarters are located. It is a very small chapel called a "secret" (private) chapel, not open to the public.
I would like to see the earlier Rococo painting of the Madonna and Child by Pier Leone Ghezzi returned to its rightful place behind the altar. It is today kept on the wall of the anteroom outside the chapel, seen in the final photo below. I also include a photo of what the chapel looked like before the renovations of the 1930s. Notice the frame of the icon and the trompe-l'oeil fresco works bear the coat-of-arms of Benedict XIV. How fittingly regal the chapel is, hidden in the papal apartment, waiting to be discovered by privileged visitors and guests of the Roman Pontiffs.
 |
| The chapel seen from the hallway with marble floor installed in the 1930s |
 |
| Detail of altar cards and candlesticks |
 |
| Detail of altar and kneeler |
 |
| The chapel before the renovations of Cardinal Pacelli in the 1930s |
 |
| The former painting once kept behind the altar, seen today on a nearby wall |
