The year 2020 marked the 500th anniversary of Raphael's death. As a tribute, a perfect replica of one of his most important pieces, 'Lo Sposalizio,' also known as 'The Marriage of the Virgin,' has been made. It has been displayed in the same place where Raphael intended the piece to be exhibited.
In 1798 this city had to donate the work to a Napoleonic general. He then sold it, and it passed through several owners before arriving at the Pinacoteca de Brera in Milan, where it can now be seen.
LUCIAN BACCHETTA
Mayor of Cittá di Castello
'The return of Raphael's 'The Marriage of the Virgin,' using a high-tech process, to Città di Castello, to its location, the Church of St. Francis, is truly very beautiful.”
LUCA PONZIO
HaltaDefinizione
'It is completely the same as the original, from the point of view of information on the color and material of the surface to the form and finish, its varnishing.'
The replica is flawless. To make it, this company took more than four thousand photographs to capture the slightest detail of the original painting.
They had found details that only the 21-year-old Raphael saw when he painted it in 1504.
It can now be seen in its original location, and with the original frame, which has been restored for the occasion. It displays a very young St. Joseph, breaking with the previous tradition.
They have also given away another copy for educational events and activities.
A complete wonder using the latest technologies, made possible by this company specializing in works of art. They have also produced a 16.1 gigapixel image of Leonardo's Cenacle.
Javier Martínez-Brocal
Translation: Christian Campos