The life and times of Raphael

1483 Born in Urbino in Le Marche and calls himself ‘da Urbino’ throughout his life

1494 Orphaned on the death of his father Giovanni Santi, a painter

1500 Qualifies as an independent ‘master’

1500–01 Paints his first altarpiece, The Coronation of St Nicholas of Tolentino for the church of Sant’agostino in Città di Castello, for wool merchant Andrea di Tommaso Baronci 1502–04 Trains in the studio of Pietro Vannucci, ‘il Perugino’ 1502–05 Paints several altarpieces in Perugia

1506 Arrives in Florence to learn by copying the works of other artists

1508 Pope Julius II (reigned 1503–13) commissions him to decorate his private apartments in the Vatican Palace, Rome

1511 Pope Julius appoints him Scriptor Brevium, symbolic appointment of ‘papal scribe’

1512 Decorates the Villa Farnesina with The Triumph of Galatea for papal banker Agostino Chigi

1513 Leo X (formerly Giovanni de’ Medici) becomes Pope

1514 Pope Leo commissions tapestries of the Acts of the Apostles to decorate the Sistine Chapel

1514 Appointed architect of St Peter’s in Rome on the death of Donato Bramante and becomes engaged to Cardinal Bibbiena’s niece

1515 Pope Leo appoints him supervisor of Roman antiquities and excavations

1516–17 Decorates Leo X’s loggia, Vatican Palace

1517 Designs Villa Madama for Leo X’s cousin

1519 ‘Acts of the Apostles’ tapestries hung in the Sistine Chapel for the first time

1520 Dies after a violent 10-day fever and is buried in the Pantheon, Rome, at his own request