Urbino was not only the birthplace of Raphael, but it also played a significant role in his artistic development; throughout his life the city remained an essential reference point for him. This relationship between Raphael and the city of his birth is the starting point for the exhibition due to open in the Palazzo Ducale of Urbino in the spring. The exhibition will examine the history of Urbino from the end of the 1470s throughout the 1480s and the artistic and cultural context that emerged. This was the environment within which the young Raphael trained as an artist along with his father Giovanni Santi, who worked ...

Rome and Egypt: an intense relationship that left indelible marks on Rome’s urban fabric which are still clearly visible today to anyone walking through the city. The ground beneath Campo Marzio, for instance, where the Government buildings now stand, is scattered with artefacts from the Temple of Isis and, a little further on, toward the slopes of the Quirinal, was the Serapeum. Then there are the countless obelisks (Egyptian or copies from the Roman era) marking the centres of almost all the city’s important squares, the majestic Egyptian lions that welcome visitors at the bottom of the steps on Capitoline Hill...

The Pintoricchio exhibition is part of a grand project to maximise appreciation of the rich cultural and artistic heritage in Umbria; this event has been planned to celebrate the 550th anniversary of the birth of Pintoricchio - one of the most fascinating protagonists of the Italian Renaissance and a symbol of the city of Perugia. following the success of the Perugino exhibition in 2004, this new exhibition represents a continuation of the initiative to promote the works of the great Umbrian artists and to draw attention – both of the public and national and international critics - to the stunning artistic and cultural heritage of the region and its extraordinary diffusion across the territory.