Raffaello Exhibition at Urbino's Palazzo Ducale: Director Peter Aufreiter's Farewell Interview

Palazzo Ducale in Urbino presents 'Raffaello e gli amici di Urbino', curated by Silvia Ginzburg and Barbara Agosti, for the 500th anniversary of Raphael's death. The exhibition explores Raphael's ties to Urbino and fellow artists Timoteo Viti and Girolamo Genga, with works from Bologna, Rome, Florence, and Siena. It includes about twenty Raphael masterpieces plus works by Luca Signorelli, Francesco Francia, Pietro Perugino, and Domenico Alfani. Director Peter Aufreiter, who is leaving to lead the Technisches Museum Wien, discusses the exhibition's significance. He notes that planning began over two years ago, and the National Gallery of the Marche will host three Raphael-related shows in 2020: this one, 'I colori del Rinascimento' (spring 2020) on maiolica, and 'Sul filo di Raffaello' (summer 2020) on tapestries. Aufreiter recounts securing the loan of Raphael's 'Mackintosh Madonna' cartoon from the British Museum without fees, as a gift to Raphael. He praises the exhibition's narrative and the work of young scholars. Aufreiter reflects on his tenure, citing a 40% visitor increase and doubled revenue, and criticizes Italian bureaucracy. He looks forward to Vienna's autonomous museum management.