2020 marks 500 years since the death of Rennaissance genius Raphael. After years of planning, Rome was set to mark the anniversary with a landmark exhibit of Raphael in Rome. This is the largest-ever exhibit of Raphael anywhere in the world, but it was sadly opened for just a few days before all cultural institutions were forced to close as part of Italy’s national lockdown. One bright moment to come out of this is a virtual tour of the Raphael exhibit which might not otherwise have been made available.
The Raphael exhibit officially runs from March 5th – June 2nd, 2020 (though it cannot reopen until at least April, with the exact date TBD).
Titled RAFFAELLO, the show is being hosted at the Scuderie del Quirinale in Rome in collaboration with the Gallerie degli Uffizi in Florence. The free virtual tour is now available to anyone with an internet connection. It is a wonderful way to experience the beauty of the Renassaince master while it is locked away (or if you are unable to be in Rome when it finally does reopen).
The narration on the virtual visit is currently only available in Italian. However, you don’t need to speak the language to appreciate the beauty (and the incredible scope) of the exhibit.
Raphael is noted as one of the greatest artists of all time. He died in Rome in 1520, at the age of 37. He was born in Urbino and spent parts of his early career in Umbria before moving to Florence. He arrived in Rome in 1508 at the request of Pope Pius II.
The RAFFAELLO exhibit focuses on the artist’s Roman period, which is when he created the work for which he is now best known. In addition to gathering together artwork from all over Italy and the Vatican museums, the art show also includes pieces on loan from the Louvre, the National Gallery of London, the Prado Museum, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, among others.
The exhibit includes 200 masterpieces never before shown together which includes paintings and rarely seen sketches.
In case you want more artistic beauty, you can also virtually tour the Raphael Rooms at the Vatican as part of the best Italian museums to visit online.
To visit the Raphael show in person:
RAFFAELLO Exhibit
Scuderie del Quirinale
Via XXIV Maggio 16
Rome, Italy
From: 5 March – 2 June 2020
Open: Sunday-Thursday 10 am to 8 pm and Friday-Saturday 10 am to 10:30 pm, with last entry one hour before closing time.
Tickets are available online to enter at a reserved time and skip the line.
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