{"id":17346,"date":"2024-11-12T23:07:32","date_gmt":"2024-11-12T23:07:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/?p=17346"},"modified":"2025-05-21T09:51:47","modified_gmt":"2025-05-21T08:51:47","slug":"michelangelo-works-and-paintings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/michelangelo-works-and-paintings","title":{"rendered":"Michelangelo&#8217;s Works: 7 Exquisite Paintings"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When we think of Michelangelo&#8217;s works, the awe-inspiring frescoes of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/attractions\/the-sistine-chapel-in-the-vatican-museums\">Sistine Chapel<\/a> and the iconic statue of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/history-of-michelangelos-david\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">David<\/a> immediately come to mind. These masterpieces are undoubtedly among the greatest achievements in art history. Yet, Michelangelo&#8217;s nearly 89-year career produced countless other extraordinary works spanning painting, sculpture, and architecture.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s delve into some of <strong>Michelangelo\u2019s works<\/strong> that may not be as famous but are equally impressive.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni, commonly known simply as Michelangelo, was born on March 6, 1475, in Caprese, Tuscany. Raised by a stonecutter, his connection to marble began in childhood. By age 13, he apprenticed under Renaissance master Domenico Ghirlandaio, where he mastered fresco painting\u2014a skill that would later define some of his most famous works.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He soon caught the attention of Lorenzo de Medici, also known as Lorenzo the Magnificent, who introduced him to the leading artists and intellectuals of the day. This exposure deeply influenced Michelangelo&#8217;s works.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_80 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/michelangelo-works-and-paintings\/#Michelangelos_Pieta\" >Michelangelo\u2019s Piet\u00e0\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/michelangelo-works-and-paintings\/#The_Doni_Tondo\" >The Doni Tondo\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/michelangelo-works-and-paintings\/#Tomb_of_Pope_Julius_II\" >Tomb of Pope Julius II\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/michelangelo-works-and-paintings\/#Sculptures_of_Moses_The_Dying_and_Rebellious_Slaves\" >Sculptures of Moses &amp; The Dying and Rebellious Slaves\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/michelangelo-works-and-paintings\/#The_Slaves_at_the_Accademia_in_Florence\" >The Slaves at the Accademia in Florence\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/michelangelo-works-and-paintings\/#Piazza_del_Campidoglio\" >Piazza del Campidoglio\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/michelangelo-works-and-paintings\/#St_Peters_Basilica\" >St. Peter\u2019s Basilica\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/michelangelo-works-and-paintings\/#Experiencing_Michelangelos_works_today\" >Experiencing Michelangelo&#8217;s works today<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Michelangelos_Pieta\"><\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Michelangelo\u2019s Piet<\/span><\/b><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00e0<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">When Michelangelo was barely 20 and still relatively little<\/span> <span data-contrast=\"auto\">known, the French\u202fambassador in Rome<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Cardinal\u202fJean de Bilh\u00e8res <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">hired Michelangelo <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">to sculpt a statue for a chapel in old Saint Peter&#8217;s Basilica. This sculpture<\/span> <span data-contrast=\"auto\">would become<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> the Piet\u00e0,<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> one of the best-known and most-loved of Michelangelo&#8217;s works.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_17349\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-17349\" class=\"wp-image-17349 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Walks_Vatican-Highlights-WEB-0014.jpg\" alt=\"Pieta sculpture in St Peter's basilica\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-17349\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Pieta in St. Peter&#8217;s Basilica is one of the best-known of Michelangelo&#8217;s works<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Cardinal<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> died before the sculpture was finished and <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">when Michelangelo finished the piece, he was unsure what to do with it. As the story goes, he an<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">d a friend snuck <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">it<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> into the basilica during the night.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Carved from a single block of marble, the Piet\u00e0 shows Mary holding her son after his crucifixion. Several things make this sculpture striking:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">F<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">irst of all, Michelangelo depicted Mary as young, around the same age as Jesus. <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Michelangelo&#8217;s choice to show her much younger was deliberate &#8211; she is <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">chaste and has retained her youth.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Second, most piet\u00e0s <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">up to then <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">showed a gruesome, bloodied <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">version of the dead <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Christ, and a weeping Mary almost disfigured in her grief.\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In Michelangelo&#8217;s Piet\u00e0, the Virgin is serene and her son appears almost asleep. This was a radical departure from convention.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The Piet\u00e0 is the only sculpture Michelangelo ever signed. It was the only sculpture he needed to sign.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>The best way to see the Piet\u00e0 is by taking part in the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/vatican-tours\/st-peters-basilica-tour-dome-crypts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> St. Peter\u2019s Basilica Tour with Dome &amp; Crypts tour<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Doni_Tondo\"><\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The Doni Tondo<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">At this point, Michelangelo saw himself as a sculptor<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> and only as a sculptor.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">But wealthy patrons wanted the young artist for other types of work as well. In 1505, Michelangelo was commissioned to paint the Holy Family for the wealthy Florentine merchant, Agnolo Doni.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Today known as the Doni Tondo (on show at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/attractions\/the-uffizi-gallery-florence\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Uffizi<\/a> gallery) because of its circular shape, the painting shows the Holy Family as if they had been sculpted. <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Another unusual thing about the Doni Tondo, one of the most remarkable of Michelangelo&#8217;s works in painting, is the group of nude bathers in the background, a seemingly strange juxtaposition to the Holy Family. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_17353\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-17353\" class=\"wp-image-17353 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/1280px-Uffizi_Gallery_-_Michelangelo_painting__Tondo_Doni_.jpeg\" alt=\"Michelangelo paintings\" width=\"1024\" height=\"689\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-17353\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Michelangelo&#8217;s Doni Tondo at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. Image source: Wikimedia Commons<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Right as Michelangelo was working on this painting, in 1506, many sculptures from antiquity were being unearthed in Rome. Two of these sculptures in particular had a profound effect on Michelangelo and would influence his art. These were the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/rome-tours\/complete-vatican-tour\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Apollo of the Belvedere and the Laoco\u00f6n<\/a>. And in this painting of the Holy Family, the nudes show that Michelangelo paintings had already begun to be inspired by those ancient Roman structures. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">By this time, Michelangelo had become quite well-known. And this is right when a new Pope was elected in Rome &#8211; Pope Julius II (della Rovere.)<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tomb_of_Pope_Julius_II\"><\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Tomb of Pope Julius II<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Pope Julius II was a decisive man &#8211; his nickname was &#8220;The Warrior Pope&#8221;. Indeed, he was the last pope to fight in battle.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Julius <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">had a lot of ideas about things that needed to be done at the Vatican, including a whole new design for the basilica, which was falling apart, a gradiose tomb for himself, and paintings for many rooms in the papal palace, including the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Julius kn<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">e<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">w just the sculptor for his tomb. He wanted Michelangelo to create something so huge, it would not have fit into <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">O<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">ld Saint Peter&#8217;s basilica. So the basilica itself would also need to be remade.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_17364\" style=\"width: 1080px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-17364\" class=\"wp-image-17364 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/1505-Plan.jpeg\" alt=\"Michelangelo works of architecture\" width=\"1070\" height=\"598\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-17364\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Reconstructed plan of Michelangelo&#8217;s design for Pope Julius II&#8217;s tomb. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/3045700\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Erwin Panovsky, 1937<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">While Michelangelo was working on the supersized plans for Julius&#8217; tomb, the Pope interrupted and asked\u00a0him to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel (which had been named for Julius&#8217; uncle, Pope Sixtus IV, and whose walls had already been beautifully frescoed by the great Florentine artists of the 1400s.)\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Michelangelo refused. He said he was a sculptor, not a painter. Pope Julius II disagreed. We know who won that argument.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Michelangelo famously never finished Julius&#8217; tomb. In fact, it was finished in 1545 long after the Pope himself died.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Though the tomb was never completed as intended, Michelangelo\u2019s statue of Moses and his sculptures of the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dying Slave<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rebellious Slave<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are iconic elements of Michelangelo\u2019s works.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Sculptures_of_Moses_The_Dying_and_Rebellious_Slaves\"><\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Sculptures of Moses &amp; The Dying and Rebellious Slaves<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Once Michelangelo finished painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in 1512, he felt the need to at least complete one of the sculptures of Julius&#8217; incomplete tomb.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">His statue of Moses, meant for Julius&#8217; tomb, is today in the church of Saint Peter in Chains in Rome.<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> It\u2019s said that the artist felt this was his most life-like sculpture.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Michelangelo completed two other sculptures for the project: the Dying and Rebellious Slaves, both now in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.takewalks.com\/paris-tours\/louvre-tour-mona-lisa\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Louvre<\/a>, Paris.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_17354\" style=\"width: 2058px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-17354\" class=\"wp-image-17354 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/8591658294_d17c5ae204_k.jpg\" alt=\"Michelangelo works\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1368\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-17354\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Moses by Michelangelo, meant oringinally for the tomb of Pope Julius II. Image Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/41294655@N00\/8591658294\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Flickr<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CC<\/a><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Slaves_at_the_Accademia_in_Florence\"><\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The Slaves at the Accademia in Florence<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">When Michelangelo sculpted, he said he was merely doing God&#8217;s work &#8211; freeing the already existing sculpture from inside the marble. <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">There is no better place to view exactly what he meant by this than in the Accademia in Florence<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">. Most visitors flock to this museum to see Michelangelo\u2019s monumental sculpture of David, and with good reason.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">But take note of his other works there, as well.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">There you can see four unfinished sculptures, \u201cThe Awakening Slave\u201d, \u201cThe Young Slave\u201d, \u201cThe Bearded Slave\u201d and \u201cThe Atlas\u201d. All four of them show Michelangelo&#8217;s technique of &#8220;freeing&#8221; the statue from the marble. Some art historians believe Michelangelo may have intended to leave these works in this state, to show the struggle of humans to free themselves from their material things.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_17372\" style=\"width: 809px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-17372\" class=\"wp-image-17372 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/48765140282_59bbc2a316_c.jpg\" alt=\"michelangelo works in florence\" width=\"799\" height=\"654\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-17372\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Michelangelo&#8217;s Bearded Slave in the Accademia. Image Source: Flickr<\/p><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Piazza_del_Campidoglio\"><\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Piazza del Campidoglio<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In Michelangelo&#8217;s long and productive life, he proved so talented that in his relatively old age, he was tapped as an architect <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">for several important works in Rome.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In 1536, <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">25 years after Michelangelo finished his work on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, he <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">began his work on The Last Judgement on the altar wall<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> of the chapel<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">. <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">P<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">ope Clement VII (Medici)<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> initially commissioned the artist but it was<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> completed under Pope Paul III (Farnese<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.)<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Pope Paul III reigned for 15 years and in that time, he had a productive and harmonious rapport with the great artist.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Pope Paul III also had Michelangelo redesign the Piazza of the Campidoglio, Rome&#8217;s City Hall. Michelangelo would not see this project finished, but you can see<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> a model of<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> his design for this stunning piazza when you visit the Capitoline Museums.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In fact, it was not until 1940 that Michelangelo&#8217;s designs for the gorgeous pavement would be realized.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although Michelangelo didn\u2019t live to see its completion, his vision transformed the space into one of the most harmonious of Michelangelo\u2019s works in architecture.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_17360\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-17360\" class=\"wp-image-17360 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/7848994650_d5d3b5f7c0_k.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-17360\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Piazza Del Capidoglio in Rome, designed by Michelangelo. Image Source: Flikr<\/p><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"St_Peters_Basilica\"><\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">St. Peter\u2019s Basilica<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-17350 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Walks_Vatican-Highlights-WEB-0016.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" \/>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Finally, after many fits and starts and projects begun by so many other great artists and architects of the Renaissance, including Bramante, Raphael, and Sangallo, Pope Paul III appointed Michelangelo as chief architect of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/art-culture\/visiting-st-peters-basilica\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Saint Peter&#8217;s Basilica<\/a> and it is his design we enjoy today.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">While Michelangelo was not the last architect to work on this Papal basilica, his harmonious design and his majestic dome are two of the most evident and most enduring reminders of this great artist&#8217;s legacy. It it without a doubt, <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the crowning architectural achievement of Michelangelo&#8217;s works.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Experiencing_Michelangelos_works_today\"><\/span>Experiencing Michelangelo&#8217;s works today<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>To really appreciate the magnificence and beauty of Michelangelo&#8217;s works, we recommend taking a tour with one of Walks of Italy&#8217;s expert guides. In Rome you can see the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/vatican-tours\/key-masters-tour-sistine-chapel-vatican-museums\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sistine Chapel<\/a> with no one around, and climb <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/rome-tours\/st-peters-basilica-tour-dome-crypts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">St.Peter&#8217;s Basilica<\/a> to inspect the dome close up. Visit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/florence-tours\/florence-duomo-tour-climb\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">David<\/a> at the Accademia in Florence, and tour the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/florence-tours\/florence-tours-full-day\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Uffizi<\/a> with an expert.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Michelangelo&#8217;s works go beyond what is most famous. Each creation reflects his unparalleled talent and his deep understanding of art&#8217;s ability to inspire. A guided tour is the best way to immerse yourself in the legacy of Michelangelo\u2019s works and their enduring impact on the world.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Author\u2019s Bio: Elyssa Bernard is the owner and publisher of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.romewise.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Romewise<\/a>, a website all about visiting Rome. Originally from Gainesville Florida, Elyssa married a Roman, and has lived in Rome for 20 years.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When we think of Michelangelo&#8217;s works, the awe-inspiring frescoes of the Sistine Chapel and the iconic statue of David immediately come to mind. These masterpieces are undoubtedly among the greatest achievements in art history. Yet, Michelangelo&#8217;s nearly 89-year career produced countless other extraordinary works spanning painting, sculpture, and architecture. Let\u2019s delve into some of Michelangelo\u2019s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":17348,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[279,64,18,231,230],"ppma_author":[155],"class_list":["post-17346","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-art-culture","tag-accademia","tag-florence","tag-rome","tag-sistine-chapel","tag-st-peters-basilica"],"authors":[{"term_id":155,"user_id":3,"is_guest":0,"slug":"walksofitaly","display_name":"Walks of Italy","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9f4cd4dd0c5ab4b4bae57f3500298e23?s=96&d=mm&r=g","user_url":"http:\/\/walksofitaly.com\/blog","last_name":"of Italy","first_name":"Walks","job_title":"","description":"Walks began life as the passion project of two guys with one simple mission: To share their love for, and knowledge of, the city of Rome. Since then, Walks has grown into a team of over 100 ground staff and at any time up to 600 guides, operating across 13 of the world\u2019s most exciting cities (and counting!)\r\n\r\nToday we provide some of the most exclusive and beautifully designed small group tours in the industry through Italy-based Walks of Italy and around the world at Walks, where we offer special access to some of the world\u2019s most iconic landmarks and attractions as well as unique cultural experiences."}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17346"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17346"}],"version-history":[{"count":23,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17346\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22651,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17346\/revisions\/22651"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17348"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17346"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17346"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17346"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.walksofitaly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=17346"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}