Raphael Fagnoni born in Florence in 1901. He graduated in Rome at the School of Architecture in 1924 and returned to his city, he founded the Florentine section of the Fascist Union of Architects; since 1926 is among the promoters of the Royal High School of Architecture in Florence , it became faculty in 1933. Here he was given the chair of Distributive features of buildings. Soon gets major professional tasks: the restoration of the church of San Francesco in Pistoia (1926-1931), the orphanage "Vittorio Alfieri" of Asti (1930-1932), the House of Settignano beam (1929-1930) and together Giovanni Michelucci, the national headquarters of the Opera table in Pistoia (1928-1930). In the early 30's he began working with the engineer Enrico Bianchini which they won the competition for the stadium of Turin (1933) and that of Lucca (1934).

From 1938 Fagnoni deals with the arrangement of the University of Trieste, with Umberto Nordio, realizing various interventions during the '40s and' 50s. Between 1938 and 1940, he built the house littoria "Dante Rossi" in 1942 and draw up the draft of the Military Health School of Florence, unrealized.

In the postwar period he created works of religious architecture, like the Church of San Domenico in Cagliari (1949-1954), the parish churches of Iglesias (1951) and Carbonia (1954), the new cathedral of Montecatini (1953-1958) and the Church Jesus Divine worker in Rome (1954-1960). In the same years he realizes the new headquarters of the Italian Credit in Livorno (1954), the Office Superintendency public works in Tuscany, Florence (1954) and the seat of management for the Autostrada del Sole (1958), also in Florence.

He was a dean of the Faculty of Architecture in Florence from 1936 to 1966, director of the Institute of building character, National Board delegate for craft and small industries (Enapi). Member of important institutions, including the High Council of Antiquities and Fine Arts, the Board of Health, the National Center for construction and hospital technical (CNETO), the Union Catholic Italian artists (UCAI).