Raphael
His mother Màgia died in 1491 when Raphael was eight, followed on August 1, 1494 by his father, who had already remarried. Raphael was thus orphaned at eleven; his formal guardian became his only paternal uncle Bartolomeo, a priest, who subsequently engaged in litigation with his stepmother. He probably continued to live with his stepmother when not staying as an apprentice with a master. He had already shown talent, according to Vasari, who says that Raphael had been "a great help to his father". A self-portrait drawing from his teenage years shows his precocity. His father's workshop continued and, probably together with his stepmother, Raphael evidently played a part in managing it from a very early age. In Urbino, he came into contact with the works of Paolo Uccello, previously the court painter (d. 1475), and Luca Signorelli, who until 1498 was based in nearby Città di Castello.
Feast of Saint Raphael, Ollur
Raphael is the name of an archangel of Christianity who is one of three angels listed by name in the Bible. The Roman Catholic Church assigns the feast of Saint Raphael to 24 October. He stands in the choir of archangels and is one of the seven angels who stand before the Throne of God. His name is known in the Bible where he, in the book of Tobit, is the traveling companion of the Tobias, a young man. The Church calls on him as the angel of love, patron of medical doctors and of travelers.