"It was much, much colder in March in that period, and it's very likely he caught pneumonia," Riva said. "A medical mistake, and his own mistake in not faithfully recounting his history, contributed to Raphael's death," he said. "From what we know, Raphael died of a pulmonary illness very similar to the coronavirus we've seen now," he said. Despite his premature death, Raphael produced a vast ouevre of seminal work, much of it at the Vatican, whose museums include several rooms filled with his frescoes. Completed by Raphael's students after his death, they remain some of the Vatican's most popular rooms.

Source: Daily Nation July 18, 2020 03:54 UTC