Casa Natale di Raffaello, Urbino

The Casa Natale di Raffaello, on the steep Via Raffaello in the upper part of Urbino, is the house where Raphael, one of the greatest painters of the Italian High Renaissance, was born on 28 March 1483. The 15th-century townhouse was bought in 1460 by his father, Giovanni Santi, himself a respected painter and court humanist, who ran his workshop here; the young Raphael spent his early years and received his first artistic grounding in these rooms before moving on to Perugia, Florence, and ultimately Rome. The house is preserved as a museum by the Accademia Raffaello, which has cared for it since the 19th century. Visitors pass through period rooms furnished in the style of the artist's time, including the reconstructed workshop with its stone for grinding pigments, and the small courtyard at the heart of the house. The most prized possession is a fresco of the Madonna and Child set into one of the walls, traditionally attributed to the young Raphael, with some scholars assigning it to his father; either way, it is a touching survival in the place where the artist grew up. The collection also includes copies of Raphael's works and pieces by his contemporaries. Admission is €4 for adults and free for visitors under 16, and the house keeps seasonal hours, opening longer in the warmer months. A visit takes around 45 minutes. The house lies on the climb toward the upper town and combines naturally with the Palazzo Ducale and the cathedral, though the streets are steep.