Famous Italianist, writer and translator Alexander Makhov, author of biographies of Titian and Caravaggio, translation of the entire poetic heritage of Michelangelo Buonarroti, as well as the poetry of Leopardi, awarded in 2004 the gold medal of the President of the Italian Republic for services in the field of culture and art, his new book dedicated to Raphael. This is the first complete story in Russian about the life and work of the great master of the High Renaissance. The figure of Raphael is shrouded in secrets and legends. The author sheds light on some of them, recognizing that it is impossible to fully comprehend this personality.