Born in Lucca, Raffanti trained in Milan with Celletti, and made his debut at La Scala in 1976, as Rodrigo in Otello. The following year, he appeared at the Festival della Valle d'Itria, in Antigone by Traetta, he was to return there regularly, singing in Traetta's Le serve rivali, I Capuleti e i Montecchi, Fra Diavolo, Il barbiere di Siviglia, etc. He sang Medoro in Vivaldi's Orlando furioso, in Verona, opposite Marilyn Horne, in 1978. He also appeared at the Pesaro Festival in La donna del lago, opposite Katia Ricciarelli, in 1983, and made his debut at the Royal Opera House in London, as Tebaldo in I Capuleti e Montecchi, in 1984, opposite Agnes Baltsa and Edita Gruberová, under Riccardo Muti. His debut at the Paris Opéra in 1985, was as Almaviva in Il barbiere di Siviglia.