Raphael: The Prince of Painters
THE 500TH ANNIVERSARY OF RAPHAEL’S DEATH
“ILLE HIC EST RAPHAEL TIMUIT QUO SOSPITE VINCI RERUM MAGNA PARENS ET MORIENTE MORI”
This is the Latin epitaph on Raphael‘s grave in Pantheon , translated then by Thomas Hardy : “Here’s one in whom Nature feared – faint at such vying – /Eclipse while he lived, and decease at his dying”
Raphael died in Rome on April 6 1520 at just 37 years old.
On 2020 falls the 500th anniversary since his death, a rose has been placed on his grave. The undisputed celebrity of Reinaissance will be celebrated with events, exhibitions, talks not only in Rome but also in his hometown Urbino.
THE MAXI EXHIBITION AT SCUDERIE DEL QUIRINALE
Save the date if you will be in Rome in March! From March 5th until June 2nd two hundreds masterpieces will be displayed to celebrate Raphael at Scuderie del Quirinale. It will be a magnificent solo-show with paintings, drawnings and comparison works.
https://www.scuderiequirinale.it/
He was beautiful, talented, famous, loved by women and esteemed for centuries higher than Michelangelo! You don’t have to be an art expert to appreciate his work! If we were in a room full of paintings belonging to different names and eras, we would likely be able to recognize his hand.
RAPHAEL’S WORKS IN ROME
Rome, certainly, collects many works by Raphael who moved here at the age of 25 called by Pope Julius II.
PAPAL APARTMENTS IN VATICAN CITY
Raphael’s Rooms are inside the Vatican Museums just before the Sistine Chapel. They are four masterpieces that anyone definitely should visit at least once in their lifetime! The best way is doing a walking tour with an expert guide. https://www.ecoarttravel.com/en/vatican-tours.
PINACOTECA VATICANA
The Vatican Art Gallery houses other Raphael’s paintings such as Pala degli Oddi, Trasfigurazione, Madonna di Foligno. Obviously the subjects represented are sacred and their beauty is absolute!
In addition to the Vatican Museums, here below a list of historical buildings and churches mainly located in the city center for discovering the Prince of Painters’ art:
BORGHESE GALLERY https://www.borghesegallerytickets.com/en/
DORIA PAMPHILJ GALLERY https://www.doriapamphilj.it/roma/
VILLA FARNESINA http://www.villafarnesina.it/?lang=en
PALAZZO BARBERINI https://www.barberinicorsini.org/en/
ST. AUGUSTINE’S CHURCH, THE CHURCH OF SANTA MARIA DEL POPOLO, THE CHURCH OF SANTA MARIA DELLA PACE.
They are open every day, according to the religious services, and located not very far from each other in the center.
Therefore all you can do is losing yourself around the 16th Century in Rome and admiring one of the greatest painter that History has given us!
