CASA NATALE DI RAFFAELLO
In this beautiful Renaissance building, in the centre of the antique artisan district, Raffello was born on 28 March 1483 and here he spent the years of his young formation at the father’s workshop.
The building was bought in 1635 by architect Muzio Oddi and partially renovated. In 1873 the house was bought by the Accademia Raffaello who made its headquarters of it and helped to recover the facility adding with time important donations. Today the building is a museum-house devoted to the Urbino artist and houses works of different types and provenance.
Giovanni Santi’s workshop, at the time court painter to the duke Federico da Montefeltro, is situated on the ground floor of the house and is today used for temporary exhibitions.
On the second floor the “Sala Grande”, decorated with a beautiful 16th century chimney and open beams ceiling, hosts works by Giovanni Santi and copies of Raffello’s paintings.
In “Raffaello’s bedroom” instead is kept a fresco of showing the “Madonna con Bambino” considered a youth study created by the young artist together with his father. A small space accommodates a nice collection of Renaissance majolica, donated by Paolo Volponi, outstanding character of the Urbino culture.
Greatly evocative are the kitchen and the buildings courtyard, with a well, basin and stone for colour grinding.
On the third floor several rooms host copies of the artist’s famous paintings, portraits, and donations by the Accademia Raffaello.
http://www.palazzoducaleurbino.it/casa_raffaello_urbino.html
