In The Footsteps of Raffaello

One of the leading figures of Italian Renaissance, Raffaello, came from a steep sloping hillside village called Urbino, in the Marche region. Son of the painter Giovanni Santi, although becoming an orphan at the tender age of 11, Raphael run his father's workshop and made his apprenticeship with Pietro Perugino in Umbria. Once in Florence, he took his rightful place in the Holy Trinity of high Renaissance masters along with, Leonardo and Michelangelo. Then he moved to Rome, where he worked for Pope Julius II with the commission to decorate his private apartments.  

Start this off the beaten path tour in a hidden church not far from the famous Piazza Navona. You'll admire a fresco by Raffaello, that will allow you to compare his style with the figures of Prophets and Sibyls by Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel.

Continue through the charming streets of Via dei Coronari and Via Giulia, the latter once being home to the famous painter, while designing a chapel within the small church of Sant’Eligio degli Orefici (it is possible extend this tour of roughly 30 minutes if you wish to tour the church).

Head to the Tiber river and cross Ponte Sisto, a bridge built in dedication of Pope Sixtus IV ad offering a fantastic view over St. Peter's Dome. You'll enter into the quaint and characteristic part of Rome named, Trastevere. This area was a favorite of Raffaello due to it being where Margherita Luti once lived: she is the Fornarina (litterally baker's daughter) the artist fell deeply in love with and he painted in many artworks, using her as a model.

The final stop in this historical walking tour is one of the clearest examples of Renaissance art and architecture in Rome: Villa Farnesina, private residence of the richest man in Rome Renaissance period. The interior walls are blanketed by priceless Raffaello frescoes, including the Triumph of Galatea and the Loggia of Amore and Psiche, inspired by Ancient Roman myths.

Click here and learn more about the Raffaello Walking Tour!