Cultural events pay tribute to the iconic artist of the Renaissance. The headline events are in Rome and Umbria.
 

This year, the whole world celebrates the fifth centenary of the death of Raffaello Sanzio, known in English as Raphael, the illustrious painter from Urbino (1483-1520) who died at just 37 years of age. A host of celebrations have been organized in Italy and around the globe in a series of events and exhibitions that pay homage to this great Renaissance Master. Of special note are exhibitions in Rome, where Raphael spent vitally-important years learning his craft, and in Umbria, the region where the artist was born. 

Raphael - Scuderie del Quirinale, Rome.

5 March 2020 - 2 June 2020

The capital hosts the highest-profile exhibition dedicated to the great artist in Italy, in partnership with the Uffizi Gallery of Florence, which is loaning the core of the works on show. Curated by Marzia Faietti and Matteo Lafranconi, with the assistance of Vincenzo Farinella and Francesco Paolo Di Teodoro, the exhibition takes us on a monographic journey into the world of Raphael, collecting together more than two hundred masterpieces including paintings, drawings and works for comparison. The exhibition is particularly inspired by the artist’s Roman period (he died in Rome on 6 April 1520, at the age of just 37), during which he became a legendary icon. A vast body of Raphael’s work has been collected for this exhibition, for the first time shown in one place thanks to proficuous collaboration with a host of foreign and Italian institutions.

Raphael and the Domus Aurea. Invention of the Grotesque - Domus Aurea, Rome.

24 March 2020 - 10 January 2021

Also in Rome, to mark the 500th anniversary of Raphael’s death, a special exhibition event dedicated to the theme of the grotesque, featuring extraordinary interactive and multimedia exhibits. The exhibition sets out to tell the story and present Raphael’s art in one of the most famous ancient architectural complexes in the world, one that has marked and influenced iconography from the Renaissance to the great masters of the twentieth century.

Where to sleep in Rome?

Thanks to its strategic location, the Gruppo UNA UNAHOTELS Decò Roma is the ideal solution for fully experiencing the Eternal City’s charm. This is the perfect location from which to explore Rome, getting lost among its beautiful city centre streets and discovering the capital’s most famous historical sites, many of which are within walking distance of the hotel, which is located near Termini station.

Raphael in Umbria and his Legacy - Baldeschi Palace, Umbria.

8 April 2020 - 1 November 2020

Extraordinary immersive images reconstruct Raphael’s pictorial universe, bringing the rooms at Palazzo Baldeschi alive with images and a narrating voice in a multimedia exhibition illustrated by curator Francesco Federico Mancini. Effects and visions inspired by Raphael’s Umbrian period (between 1500 and 1504-1505) flank the exhibition’s document-based pathway, featuring works by Perugino, Pinturicchio and Signorelli. This evocative story takes shape thanks to archival materials lent through a collaboration with the Archival Superintendence of Umbria and the Marches.

Young Raphael in Città di Castello and his Gaze - Pinacoteca Comunale, Città di Castello (Perugia).

October 2020 - January 2021

Umbria pays tribute to Raphael with an exhibition that passionately presents the indelible traces the artist left in this region, along with his personal works and works by the artists whom he influenced the most. Raphael’s extraordinary artistic career began in Umbria. Between 1499 and 1505, it was here that he created some of his most important works, many of which subsequently left Umbria to adorn museums all over the world, including the Louvre in Paris, the National Gallery in London, the Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan and the Galleria Borghese in Rome.

The Fortune of Raphael’s Baglioni Altarpiece in the Perugia Copies - National Gallery of Umbria, Perugia.

October 2020 - 10 January 2021

This exhibition collects seven Perugian copies of the Baglioni Deposition, a work Atalanta Baglioni commissioned Raphael to paint in memory of his son Grifonetto, who was killed during the so-called “blood wedding conspiracy”. Painted in 1507 at San Francesco al Prato, in 1608 Scipione Borghese purloined the central panel of the work. The town of Perugia’s admiration for this masterpiece is clear from the considerable number of copies made of it, four of which are housed at the Galleria Nazionale dell’Umbria. This exhibition presents the highest quality of these copies, the version painted in 1554 by Domenico Alfani – Raphael’s friend and companion – and his son Orazio and the replica made for the Abbey of San Pietro dal Sassoferrato. 

An overnight stay in Umbria in the small town of Orvieto.

If you’re visiting Umbria, why not stop over in Orvieto? A few kilometers from the town centre is the modern and charming 4-star UNAWAY Hotel Fabro, an ideal mix of comfort and hospitality for a stay in beautiful Umbria. Don’t forget to eat at the renowned Osteria Umbra La PortAccanto, which is right on site.