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2 euro commemorative coin of the Vatican City State, issued on October 16, 2020 in a circulation of 82,000 copies. Dedicated to the 500th anniversary of the death of Raphael Santi. Design by Daniela Longo (D. Longo), engraver - SP (SP inc.). Bimetallic, diameter 25.75 mm, weight 8.5 g. Minted at IPZS in Rome.
Obverse
On the left is a self-portrait of Raphael Santi, taken from his fresco "The School of Athens" (1509-1511), located in the Raphael Rooms (Stanza della Segnatura) in the Vatican Museums. On the right, in a semicircle, is the inscription "RAFFAELLO SANZIO", below it are the years "1520" and "2020", as well as two winged cherubs-putti from the artist's work "Sistine Madonna" (1513-1514, now in the Dresden Gallery), which have become one of the most recognizable images in the history of art. Below the putti is the inscription "CITTÀ DEL VATICANO", the mint mark "R" and the signatures "D. LONGO" and "SP INC". On the outer ring are the 12 stars of the European Union.
Reverse
The reverse is the common side of the 2 euro coins of the second type, designed by Luc Luix. It depicts a map of Europe as a single continent without internal borders. On the left is a large denomination "2" and the inscription "EURO", on the right is a map. On the outer ring are the 12 stars of the EU. The band is with fine ribbing and the inscription "2 ★", repeated six times alternately upright and inverted.
Historical context
Raphael Santi (Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, 1483-1520) is a great Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance, who, together with Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, makes up the "big three" of masters of the era. He was born in Urbino on April 6, 1483. In 1508, Pope Julius II invited him to Rome, where Raphael painted the rooms of the Apostolic Palace, later called the Raphael Rooms. Among his most famous works are The School of Athens, The Sistine Madonna, The Transfiguration and numerous Madonnas. After Bramante's death in 1514, he was appointed chief architect of St. Peter's Basilica. He died on Good Friday, 6 April 1520, his 37th birthday, of fever. He was buried in the Pantheon in Rome. The 500th anniversary of his death in 2020 was marked by major exhibitions, including in the Vatican Museums and the Scuderie del Quirinale in Rome.