The Fabulous Raphael: A Lecture by Professor Costantino D’Orazio

Affable, refined, smart, the painter Raffaello Sanzio (Urbino, 1483 - Rome, 1520) enjoyed an extraordinary career, which in less than 15 years led him to become the protégé of the greatest Popes of the early 16th century. The extraordinary outcome of his works is the result of both a very precise strategy and an extraordinary talent, thanks to which the artist manages to overcome a whole generation of great masters, taking their place in the Vatican court. Starting from Urbino, through Perugia, Città di Castello, Siena and Florence, it absorbs the revolutionary styles of Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo Buonarroti in order to develop a vibrant tecnique, capable of communicating strong emotions and get the viewer involved into his paintings. Raphael conquered his clients with his amazing character and charm, even before his talent. Pope Julius II della Rovere, Pope Leone X Medici, but also banker Agostino Chigi, the richest man in Europe, will be fascinated by his extraordinary brushstrokes and will order masterpieces that are still admired all over the world. Even the most beautiful women of the time will not be able to resist him: the courtesan Imperia – beloved by Popes and Cardinals – and the young Margherita Luti, perhaps the girl portrayed in the Fornarina, a painting full of mysteries, which have not yet found a solution. As biographer Giorgio Vasari reveals, Raphael lived always above the lines, beyond any ordinary custom. He worked more than any other artist of his time, he earned much more than many entrepreneurs, he loved the most beautiful women and he avoided none of the pleasures granted to a man. As a craftsman’s son he became a perfect courtesan, who from the province of Italy conquered the Vatican, the most sought-after court at the time. On the occasion of the fifth centenary of the painter’s death, thanks to his compelling and engaging storytelling, Professor Costantino D’Orazio will lead us into the life and art work of Raphael, unveiling the private apartments of the Popes, to discover the most secret loggias and magnificent frescoes, within the walls of marvellous villas and palaces, where the master of Urbino has left his unique mark.