Initially encompassing Byzantine, Medieval, and XV-XVI century art, the Department was formally established in 2008 following the updated Regulation of the Vatican Museums. Among its treasures, the tapestry and textile collection stands out as one of the oldest known. Though diminished over centuries by the effects of time and Napoleonic looting, the collection originated in the fifteenth century, driven by the pontiffs’ enduring passion for commissioning these exquisite pieces. A notable highlight is the celebrated Acts of the Apostles series, commissioned by Pope Leo X (1513–1521) for the Sistine Chapel, based on designs by Raphael and his pupils and produced in Pieter van Aelst’s renowned Brussels workshop. 

In the same gallery of the Vatican Pinacoteca, visitors can admire the remarkable Last Supper tapestry, inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s Cenacolo, a gift from King Francis I of France to Pope Clement VII in 1533. The collection also features a Flemish series depicting episodes from the Life of Christ, crafted in the early sixteenth century by Raphael’s students, and a seventeenth-century series narrating episodes from the Life of Urban VIII, woven in a Roman workshop founded by Cardinal Antonio Barberini, a nephew of the pope. This enduring papal tradition continued into the eighteenth century with the establishment of a tapestry workshop by Clement XI Albani in the Hospice of San Michele in Rome. The workshop met the artistic and furnishing needs of the pontiffs until the Unification of Italy, producing works of exceptional value that remain in the collection.

The Department plays a vital role in advancing knowledge and appreciation of these works through scientific research, publications, conferences, study sessions, and exhibitions. It develops educational materials for visitors and oversees the protection, supervision, and restoration of the collection. Additionally, it fosters collaborations and exchanges with scholars and institutions across Italy and abroad, ensuring the ongoing preservation and celebration of this rich cultural heritage.