He studied under Antonio Fontanesi and Andrea Gastaldi at the Accademia Albertina in Turin, and was a colleague of Marco Calderini.
He moved back to Vigevano late in life. He painted both genre and landscapes, in oil and water-color. In 1880 at Turin, he exhibited: Bacia, sole immortale, bacia il tuo figlio.
At Milan, in 1881, he had a landscape depicting Un tramonto di sole, and at Rome, in 1833, Lettrice distratta.
Among his other works were Louisiana finestra dirimpetto. Piazza Pia a Roma; First Rate (at Lloyd's) Colosseo.
And Sera. Rome fuori Porta San Paolo and Passeggiata in montagna were watercolors displayed at the 1887 Exhibition in Venice.
Singer Sargent painted a portrait of the artist with his painter"s kit and chair, sitting atop a hillside in front of an alpine landscape. This undescores Raffaele"s technique to paint his landscapes outdoors.