Raphael was born in Urbino, Italy under his real name Raffaello Sanzio and settled in Florence in 1504 where he studied the works of great Italian artists. In 1508, Pope Julius II asked Raphael to work for him in Rome rebuilding and redecorating along with others. Some of Raphael's most famous paintings included the Madonna of the Goldfinch and The School of Athens, though his life and work were cut short when he died in Rome on April 6, 1520 at the young age of 37.