One of the greatest painters of the High Renaissance in Rome, Raphael had been an apprentice to the painter Perugino. Raphael apparently spent from 1504-1509 in Florence, where he learned much from the Florentine masters. During this period he painted a group of Madonnas and Holy Families, many of which still exist. About 1508, he was called to Rome by Pope Julius II to direct the decoration of the state rooms in the Vatican palace. At the time of his arrival, Michelangelo was painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. While in Rome, he was employed not only by popes, but also be a number of private patrons. In 1514, he became chief architect of Saint Peter's Basilica. The following year he became the first superintendent of antiquities in Rome.