Inside a sarcophagus at the Pantheon in Rome sits a skull from the 16th century that’s suspected to belong to one of Italy’s most famous painters — Raphael. But without any DNA to compare it to, experts hesitated to confirm that it was really Raphael’s resting in the tomb. In response, a team of anthropologists created a digital reconstruction of the skull and have come to a conclusion that settles the mystery once and for all.
High Renaissance
How did they attribute the skull to Raphael in the first place? Well, that part of the story was established by historians by tracing his past. Most active during the Italian High Renaissance, Raphael was known for his balanced and beautiful figures, yet his early life was anything but.
Young Creative
Raphael was born in Urbino, Italy in 1483 to Magia di Battista Ciarla and Giovanni Santi. His mother died when he was only four, leaving his artist father to raise him. Giovanni fostered a creative environment of painting and philosophy lessons, though their peace didn’t last.
Early Losses
When Raphael was 11 years old, his father died too. His young life already so full of tragedy, Raphael immersed himself in his local artistic community in Urbino, and even before hitting his teenage years, his natural ability was obvious.
Gathering Fame
In 1495, he moved to Perugia, where he started to make a name for himself. There’s a record from 1500 that indicates that he was already a respected local artist. The next year, Raphael scored a massive project that leveled up his status in the art world.
Passing The Torch
Raphael painted a piece for the Church of San Francesco al Monte from 1501-1503. The task was originally given to his teacher, Perugino, but he decided to give the job to Raphael instead. Perugino knew his skilled student was ready for the challenge.
Florence Bound
After this series of paintings, Raphael decided to move on and expand his artistic boundaries. He said goodbye to Perugino and traveled to Florence, drawn by major names like Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci.
Close To The Pope
Raphael’s career took him to Rome next, at the request of Pope Julius II. That’s where the blossoming painter was discovered by a wider audience, thanks to a close relationship and connections through the pontiff.
Vatican Frescoes
One of Raphael’s major projects was creating frescoes inside the Vatican. Known as the Raphael Rooms, each of the four areas is a part of the Apostolic Palace. Not all of the areas were painted by Raphael though — some of his assistants filled in, following his instructions.
Madonnas
This is also when Raphael painted a series of Madonnas, or depictions of the Virgin Mary. These included the Alba Madonna, Madonna di Foligno, and Sistine Madonna. All of these portrayed gentle, brightly detailed figures, invoking a sense of peace for onlookers.
Portrait Mode
While known for his breathtaking religious depictions, Raphael also painted self-portraits. These are the basis of our modern ideas of what the artist actually looked like and from what historians can tell, his face might have had something to do with his success.
Good Looking
Not to slight Raphael’s talent, but experts do believe that some of his popularity was boosted by his appearance. Apparently, he was rather easy on the eyes and had a charismatic personality that made him well-liked within the artist community, but his legacy was cut short.
Short Life
On his 37th birthday, in April 1520, Raphael mysteriously died. In response to the tragedy, the Vatican posthumously honored him. When you painted a part of the building, it’s only fair that you get a funeral there.
Cause Of Death
Historians still debate Raphael’s true cause of death. The initial theory blamed syphilis, but a 2020 study suggested a different killer: lung disease. If that was the case, his doctors mistreated his illness, plunging him deeper into sickness and ultimately causing his death.
Mysterious Gravesite
Another mystery that surrounds Raphael’s death is where he was laid to rest. Researchers believed he might be buried at the Pantheon, and in 1833 a human skull that was believed to be Raphael’s was unearthed in the temple.
Digital Rendering
Experts from Tor Vergata University, Accademia Raffaello, and the Vigamus Foundation teamed up, taking a previous mold of the skull to pin down some answers. They used the cast to make a 3D model, creating a digital rendering of what they would have looked like in life.
The Truth
Researchers compared the digital rendering of the skull that was believed to be Raphael’s with his iconic self portraits and low and behold — it was a match! After years of speculation, they confirmed that it was indeed Raphael’s skull recovered at the Pantheon.
Great Hygiene
Mattia Falconi, a researcher on the project, said, “We also found on the cast the complete dentition and it’s amazing how perfectly intact the teeth are,” adding, “This was rare for a 37-year-old man of the 16th century. It means that Raphael took great care of himself, including hygiene and nutrition.”
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Cheap Rhinoplasty
Besides Raphael’s cleanliness, the scientists also found something interesting about how the artist portrayed himself. “The nose that emerged from our reconstruction of the face is certainly more prominent than what appears in Raphael’s self-portraits,” Mattia said.
Original Photo Editor
“We therefore think that it is true that Raphael embellished himself, refined himself in his portraits,” he said. Raphael’s nose may have changed shape as he aged, but because he was still so young when he died, we think he engaged in some light enhancement.
Stonehenge Man
Scientists plan to exhume Raphael’s remains to continue learning more about his anatomy. However, other historical figures have been reanimated using a technique called digital rendering. Just take the 5,500-year-old skeleton pictured below! His remains were found in an elaborate tomb in the 1860s and date the man’s age of death at between 25 and 40 years old…
2. Avgi
This 9,000-year-old Greek woman is known as “Avgi.” She lived during the historical era in which the region was transitioning from a society of hunter-gatherers to one centered around agriculture, though she died young at age 18.
3. Bocksten Man
Known as the “Bocksten Man,” his true identity is believed to be that of Simon Gudmundi, the dean of the Diocese of Linköping who was murdered on May 12, 1491. Researchers believe that politician Hemming Gadh orchestrated Gudmundi’s murder so that he could take his place as dean.
4. Whitehawk Woman
The remains of this 5,000-year-old Neolithic woman were discovered near Brighton in the U.K., giving us a glimpse into how different the people of Stone Age Britain looked then compared to now. Known as the “Whitehawk Woman,” she was buried with an infant in her arms, meaning she had likely died during childbirth.
5. Swedish Viking
This Swedish Viking’s skeleton was so well-preserved that archaeologists could accurately recreate his skin, hair, and eye color. He is believed to have lived sometime during the the eleventh century and died at age 45.
6. Estrid Sigfastdotter
Judging by the rune stones discovered near her resting place, this woman is believed to be Estrid Sigfastdotter, a wealthy Swedish socialite who lived during the Viking Age. She lived to be an astonishing 80 years old, more than twice the standard life expectancy at the time.
7. Saxon Era Soldier
This Saxon-Era Briton is speculated to have been a soldier, as his bones suggest he was a strong man that dealt with years of violent injury. He suffered from permanent abscesses, costing him many of his teeth and part of his jaw, and died at 45.
8. Huarmey Queen
Dubbed the “Huarmey Queen,” the remains of this ancient Peruvian noblewoman were discovered in a tomb adorned with a treasure trove of valuables. Forensic examination revealed that she put her upper body to great use throughout her life, likely as a highly skilled weaver.
9. King Henry VIII’s Archer
Though he may not look like it, this man was one of King Henry VIII’s elite archers. His was one of the 92 near-complete skeletons recovered in 1982 from the wreckage of the Mary Rose, which sank more than 300 years earlier in 1545.
10. Myrtis
The first reconstruction of a layperson, this is Myrtis, an 11-year-old girl whose remains were found in a mass grave in Athens during the mid-1990s. She is believed to have died from typhoid fever, which killed off one quarter of the city’s population in the fifth century B.C.E.
Modern artists combined busts of Augustus to produce this rather boyish depiction of the great emperor. They based his reddish hair on pigmentation from ancient paintings of Octavian.
Looking at photos of more recent historical figures, it’s stunning to realize that some were perfect doppelgangers of modern celebrities. Early psychiatrist Hermann Rorschach, for instance, looks just like Brad Pitt. And he’s not alone either…
Back in the 1800s, Matthew McConaughey had a secret double, and he looks alright, alright, alright. The key difference is that Matthew drives a Lincoln, while his old-fashioned doppelgänger voted for Lincoln.
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