RAPHAEL

Raphael - self portrait

Raffaello Sanzio (Urbino 1483 - Roma 1520): about Raphael as painter we know a lot, less known he is as architect, anyway in Rome, tanks to Bramante he extended his interests also to architecture and in the last period of his short life he became the architect of St. Peter's Basilica, designed Branconio Palace, demolished in the seventeenth century (of which survive only the drawings of Raphael himself), designed the church of S. Eligio degli Orefici, nowadays sacrificed by the construction of the banks of Tiber, the famous Chigi Chapel inside Santa Maria del Popolo, Villa Madama, Jacopo da Brescia palace, which was demolished to make way for the construction of Conciliazione street, of the palace we only have some ancient photos, and Palazzo Alberini.

Vidoni Palace, which was for a long time considered his work, today is assigned to one of his pupils, the more suspect is Lorenzetto, while the little house of Raphael in the Villa Borghese park with Raphael has nothing to do.

Its Roman activity has been extensive, but only two churches can show his works, inside the church of Saint Agostino we can see his wonderful prophet Isaiah, and Santa Maria della Pace shows his sibyls.

Fornarina

Let's talk about the Fornarina one of the most celebrated portraits of Raphael, which has inspired stories and novels more or less imaginative.
Raphael felt in love with Fornarina so much that Vasari wrote that his death was caused by “excesses of love”.

But who was the Fornarina?

It seems that her name was Margherita Luti, a baker's (=fornaio) daughter (hence Fornarina), this identification seems to be confirmed by a document discovered in the late nineteenth century which states “to day August 18, 1520, was received in our conservatory Madama Margherita daughter of Francesco Luti”.

In simple terms it means that Fornarina shortly after the death of his Raphael retired to a monastery.

Fornarina was a model for many paintings of Raphael, perhaps the best known is the veiled woman in Florence, Palazzo Pitti.

Raphael’s burial is inside the Pantheon.

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