Deutsch
English
Français
Español
Italiano
Nederlands
Português
Slovenčina
Hrvatski
Slovenščina
Lietuvių
Eesti
Български
CC 372 2020
Coin set
Proof
Coin set proof
San Marino · 500th anniversary of the death of Raffael
Mintage2,500
Issue price€130.00
Issue date5 Mar 2020
PackagingCoin set
Edge lettering2 ★ × 6, alternately upright/inverted
Price of the set (2 coins)€279.00
Issue occasion
The coin commemorates the 500th anniversary of the death of Raffael. The design depicts the Virgin Mary in profile as a detail from the fresco “Madonna di Casa Santi”, Raffael’s first masterpiece in his family home in Urbino; in the complete fresco, Mary holds the sleeping infant Jesus on her lap. The depiction is complemented by the inscriptions “SAN MARINO”, “1520”, “2020” and “RAFFAELLO”.
The design
The coin’s design features a profile view of the Virgin Mary—an excerpt from the fresco “Madonna di Casa Santi”, the first masterpiece of the very young Raffael, on the walls of his family home in Urbino, which is now home to the renowned Accademia Raffaello. The fresco depicts the Virgin Mary holding the sleeping Infant Jesus on her knees. The scene is characterised by the tender intimacy between mother and son, a recurring motif in Raffael’s works. In the upper right corner of the coin, the issuing country “SAN MARINO” is engraved, alongside the years “1520” and “2020”. The inscription “RAFFAELLO” appears at the bottom, the initials of the artist Annalisa Masini, “AM”, are on the right, and the letter “R”, denoting the Rome Mint, is on the left. The outer ring of the coin bears the twelve stars of the European flag.
Background on the topic
Raffael, whose full name was Raffaello Sanzio, was born in Urbino in 1483. His father, Giovanni Santi, was a painter and worked at the court of the Montefeltro. As a result, Raffael came into contact early on with the courtly culture of Urbino, which during the Renaissance was a centre of art, architecture and humanist education. After the early death of his parents, he quickly developed into an independently working artist. His training is often associated with Pietro Perugino, even though the details have not been fully clarified.
After his first works in central Italy, Raffael spent several years in Florence. There he engaged with the works of Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. In 1508, he went to Rome, where Pope Julius II commissioned him to decorate the papal rooms in the Vatican. These so-called Stanze include The School of Athens (Schule von Athen), a depiction of ancient philosophers that also illustrates the Renaissance understanding of education.
Raffael worked not only as a painter but also as an architect. After the death of Donato Bramante, he took on tasks in the reconstruction of St. Peter’s Basilica (Petersdom). He also worked on recording and preserving ancient buildings in Rome. His large workshop produced altarpieces, portraits, murals and designs for tapestries. He particularly often depicted Mary with the Child. These works combined religious pictorial traditions with a mode of representation focused on human closeness and clear composition.
Raffael died in Rome in 1520 at the age of 37 and was buried in the Pantheon. Even his contemporaries regarded him as one of the leading artists of the High Renaissance.
San Marino’s choice of the anniversary is connected with the Republic’s close historical and cultural relations with the surrounding Italy. Like San Marino, Urbino is located in the cultural landscape of central Italy. Raffael’s origins and his influence on European art history therefore provided a plausible occasion for a San Marinese commemorative issue.
After his first works in central Italy, Raffael spent several years in Florence. There he engaged with the works of Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. In 1508, he went to Rome, where Pope Julius II commissioned him to decorate the papal rooms in the Vatican. These so-called Stanze include The School of Athens (Schule von Athen), a depiction of ancient philosophers that also illustrates the Renaissance understanding of education.
Raffael worked not only as a painter but also as an architect. After the death of Donato Bramante, he took on tasks in the reconstruction of St. Peter’s Basilica (Petersdom). He also worked on recording and preserving ancient buildings in Rome. His large workshop produced altarpieces, portraits, murals and designs for tapestries. He particularly often depicted Mary with the Child. These works combined religious pictorial traditions with a mode of representation focused on human closeness and clear composition.
Raffael died in Rome in 1520 at the age of 37 and was buried in the Pantheon. Even his contemporaries regarded him as one of the leading artists of the High Renaissance.
San Marino’s choice of the anniversary is connected with the Republic’s close historical and cultural relations with the surrounding Italy. Like San Marino, Urbino is located in the cultural landscape of central Italy. Raffael’s origins and his influence on European art history therefore provided a plausible occasion for a San Marinese commemorative issue.
Interesting Facts
This coin set contains all eight circulating coins from 1 cent to 2 euros, as well as this year's two 2-euro commemorative coins, “500th anniversary of the death of Raffael” (CC372) and “250th anniversary of the death of Giovanni Battista Tiepolo” (CC380); face value: €7.88.