Michelangelo was a genius and his immense artistic talent ranged from painting to architecture; he could do almost anything! So in order to celebrate this unparalleled ingenuity, the city of Milan, in collaboration with Casa Buonarroti, is to host a mayor exhibition dedicated to his architectural projects. From February 11 to May 8, visitors will have the unique opportunity to view more than 50 drawings and paper plans in 3D. The works on display include his drawings for the famous Basilica of San Giovanni dei Fiorentini in Rome.

‘Michelangelo’s architectural prjects on display at Castello Sforzesco, Milan

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I don’t know what to think of this, but apparently an unfinished painting of the Virgin Mary and Christ by Michelangelo has been discovered in America by Italian art historian Antonio Forcellini. For more than 30 years this rather small painting (63cm x 48cm) has been hanging in the living room of a former pilot who did not know the real value of it. The x-rays brought to light the several changes the painting went through and this - the Italian art historian said - proves that it’s an authentic Michalangelo! In a new book out in Italy, La Pieta Perduta , which will be published in the Uk next year, Mr Forcellino argues that the lost Pieta was painted by Michelangelo in 1545.

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Professor Antonio Paolucci, a Vatican museum director has revealed that Sistine Chapel frescoes by Michelangelo are facing the risk of being damaged by visitors’ sweat. Dust and hair are also potential enemies. These rather shocking news came at the end of a month long clean up of the famous chapel. Mr Poalucci told reporters that people sweat, breathe and produce dust, thus damaging the beautiful frescoes. He added that in order to preserve the Sistine chapel frescoes for future generation he will have to speak with the technicians about the climate control machine and get them updated.

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The city of Florence and the Italian state are furiously fighting over the ownership of Michelangelo’s masterpiece David. The famous statue has been Florence’s mascot since 1504 when it was put on display at the entrance of Palazzo Vecchio as a symbol of the city ‘s defiance of its foes. The row between Florence and the government erupted when two Roman lawyers commissioned by Silvio Berlusconi produced what they call conclusive evidence that the renaissance masterpiece belongs not to Florence, but to the Italian state.

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Michelangelo was an accomplished anatomist who is known to have dissected many corpses, so the discovery of Ian Suk and Rafael Tamargo, of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore that the Italian artist hid the image of the brain in the depiction of God’s neck and chin in the famous frescoes at the Sistine Chapel did not come as a surprise at all. Always according to these American neuroscientists, Michelangelo concealed other anatomical sketches in the crimson robe worn by God; in fact in one of its vertical folds one can see the image of the spinal cord. This, however, is not the first time that medical experts have discerned hidden anatomical drawings in Michelangelo’s work.

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According to the New Yok times and Philip Sohm, an art historian at the University of Toronto, Caravaggio has surpassed Michelangelo in popularity and this has not only been proved by a spate of essays and writings which have recently been dedicated to him and his art, but also by the turnout of people who every year visit art-exhibitions and museums in which his works are on display! This, of course, doesn’t mean that Michelangelo has gone down the memory hole (his popularity is still running high), but to people Caravaggio, with all his contradictions, faults and antiheroes, looks far more real and convincing - his art does know how to reach out and touch people.

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Ancient Rome in 3D is on Google Earth, there is the Virtual Museum of the Ancient via Flaminia, and soon we will have more Italian art exhibitions on Second Life. The first Italian project on Second Life was Experience Italy, and now phase 2.0 of the “Michelangelo architetto a Roma” exhibition at the Musei Capitolini in Rome is currently being built.

The exhibition itself is open until February 7th 2010, but thanks to the multimedia platform of Musei in Comune 2.0 we will soon see Michelangelo’s drawings in a three dimensional space, and with avatars dressed in renaissance costumes designed by Ardigraf Design. For more details, see the the Michelangelo in Second Life page (in English here).

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In order to find out what happened to Leonardo‘s Battle of Anghiari, the city of Florence has stricken a deal with the National Geographic Society for 250,000 euros. The world’s most important Geographic society will now try to unearth a few truths about Leonardo‘s lost masterpiece. The story goes that Michelangelo and Leonardo started to decorate the famous Palazzo Vecchio in Florence together, but apparently things did not work out as planned and Michelangelo left in a huff. Left alone, Leonardo completed his fresco (i.e. the Battle of Anghiari) but for some mysterious reason the fresco was removed and now, sadly enough, we have only copies of it (the most beautiful by Rubens). According to art experts, it was Giorgio Vasari who, commissioned to renovate the salons at Palazzo Vecchio, removed Leonardo’s work from the wall and, with the intent to preserve it for posterity, hid it somewhere. So if you love unsolved mysteries, stay tuned; more updates about Loenardo‘s lost masterpiece are on the way!

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A new advertising campaign in Italy to promote Italian monuments has a threatening slogan of “if you don’t visit it, we’ll take it away”, developed by the cultural and arts ministry. It’s an odd way of promoting tourism in Italy, in particular its historic monuments, but the campaign is meant to heighten appreciation of Italy’s incredible history.

As you can see in the photos, the Colosseum is being taken apart, and Michelangelo’s “David” is being moved elsewhere, to more deserving locations. It may seem to be a harsh message to those outside Italy, but the campaign seeks to address the gap between Italian and foreign tourists in the Belpaese.

Italians often lag behind overseas visitors in the appreciation of their own cultural and historic interests, and the campaign is aimed at arresting the decreasing trend of Italian tourists in Italy, with a goal of increasing local tourism by three percent in 2010, five percent in 2011 and another ten percent in 2012.

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The Rione Monti district has always been a world apart from the other areas of Rome; even its dialect was slightly different from the one spoken in the city. In order to make room for the famous Via dei Fori, the Rione Monti district, which is rather small if compared to other areas of the eternal city, was dramatically altered during the fascist period. But despite this rather dramatic change, the district tucked between via Nazionale and via Cavour, has kept intact all its enchanting beauty and this is thanks to its lovely narrow side-streets and superb examples of architecture which never fail to take your breath away. One of the District’s chief attractions remains the beautiful piazza Santa Maria dei Monti which features two imposing churches that deserve all your attention. Not too far away from it there’s the infamous Palazzo Borgia from which one can enjoy an amazing view of San Pietro in vincoli or Saint Peter in chains (a basilica best remembered for being home to Michelangelo’s famous statue Moses).

Continue reading: Discovering Rome: the Rione Monti district

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Done in black and red pencil, Michelangelo’s Madonna with Child will be on display at the Capitoline Museums (Sala dei Capitani) until January 10th. The drawing on loan from the Casa Buonarroti Foundation, has always been regarded by the critics as a true masterpiece; an amazing study on the relationship between mother and child, a theme that obsessed Michelangelo to the end of his life. With same ticket, visitors will also be able to visit the exhibition “Michelangelo a Roma” at the Palazzo Caffarelli! Something you can’t afford to miss!

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Michelangelo‘s art has, over the centuries, attracted millions of people from all over the world and Rome the city where the artist gave birth to many of his masterpieces will soon host an important exhibition devoted to his architectural projects. At the Capitoline Museums visitors will have the unique opportunity to see many of his drawings and paper plans; not only those for Saint Peter and the Sistine Chapel (which features the famous Creation of Adam and The Last Judgement) but also the plans he drew for the beautiful Palazzo Farnese (the inner courtyard), the Capitoline Square and the amazing Porta Pia. But, as many of you know, Michelangelo was also a great painter and sculptor; his are the Crucifixion of Saint Peter, the tomb of Pope Julius II and the famous statue depicting Moses.

Michelangelo Buonarroti Architetto a Roma

Continue reading: Rome: Michelangelo Buonarroti, architect, drawn into view with new exhibition

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