Florence 2012 Journal: Analysis of the New Sacristy

Further analysis of the New Sacristy in San Lorenzo

The new Sacristy in the Capella Medicee of San Lorenzo as already explained, serves a triple function and was left unfinished. Although the Medici’s didn’t have the extent of power they would have liked after the death of the two Dukes buried here, they were still considered nobles. Thus, they called upon Michelangelo (his works were clearly that of a status symbol) to execute their New Sacristy. Their belief was that time may well pass, but fame will not.

Michelangelo had originally planned for a mausoleum type structure to occupy the space. The Duke of Nemours, Duke of Urbino, Lorenzo the Great and his brother were to be placed at either side of the square tomb monument in the middle of the room.

As it stands now, the tombs of Lorenzo and his brother are situated opposite the altar. The Duke of Nemours and Duke of Urbino are placed at either side of the room. Although the wall space in the middle never reached completion and is therefore plain, Michelangelo was in keeping with the wishes of the Medici in that Lorenzo and his brother are placed underneath the patron saints of the house of Medici (St. Cosmus and St. Damien). This serves as an allusion to the former acting as family patrons themselves, which also explains their placement directly opposite the altar and either side of the Virgin Mary.

If facing the altar, the tomb of Giuliano or otherwise known the Duke of Nemours is situated on the right (Fig. 2). He was famously fond of Leonardo Da Vinci and was the brother of Pope Leo X. His statue on top of the tomb shows him with a weapon in hand, referring to his ‘active role’ that is contrasted with Lorenzo’s tomb statue showing his ‘passive role’ (mentioned below). The other statues placed directly on top of the sarcophagus portray day and night; the night figurine is shown with a mask and owl to her side and the day figure has its back turned to us and as claimed by Umberto Baldini, ‘the figure is believed to derive from the Belvedere Torso’ (Fig. 3). [1]

Opposite from Giuliano stands the tomb of Lorenzo, the Duke of Urbino. (Fig. 1). He was the nephew of the Duke of Nemours. Lorenzo’s statue is contemplative and depicts him as resting his elbow on what is believed to be a money box; scholars believe this implies his role as a guardian and portrays him the more passive of the two Dukes. Like Giuliano’s wall tomb, there are also two statues placed in a similar way atop the sarcophagus. These two however, represent dawn and twilight. Their iconography is not concrete, however what was found in the Archivio Buonarroti seems to consolidate the belief that they are in fact dawn and twilight. In studying this document which is presumably a plan for the tomb, John Pope-Hennessey concluded that: ‘below running across the sheet, in the positions occupied by the Allegories, is a conversation between the Times of Day of the Sarcophagus’.[2] In simple terms, Michelangelo had written ‘times of day’, or something to that effect, on top of the sarcophagus in the plan. Now considering that the subject matter of both ‘night’ and ‘day’ had already been used on the other tomb, it is a natural assumption that the remaining two statues would therefore be ‘dawn’ and ‘dusk’. While it is arguable that they could have well been the same, it is unlikely because Vasari notes that Michelangelo ‘wished for all parts of the world‘ to be depicted in the New Sacristy.[3] Therefore, it is feasible to assume that the ’Times of Day’ statues make the following set: Dawn, Day, Dusk, Night. Rather than: ‘Day, Night, Day, Night’.

By 1519 the Duke of Urbino (1492-1519) and Duke of Nemours (1479-1516) had both died. With these deaths, the so called ’opportunity’ for the Medici to obtain Papal power dwindled. They no longer had the two Dukes of whom were close to the Pope. Luckily however, before their death the Medici’s made use of their position in persuading the Pope to reinstate the position of their family in Florence in 1512.

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[1] U. Baldini, The Sculpture of Michelangelo (Rizzoli International Publications, 1984), 56. The Belvedere Torso is a limbless and headless Classical statue, believed to date around 2 AD. It is signed by an unknown Athenian sculpture ’Apollonios Son of Nestor’. The comparison between the ‘day’ figure and the Belvedere torso is made because Michelangelo was known to be very impressed and intrigued by this piece.

[2] E. Balas, Michelangelo’s Medici Chapel: A New Interpretation (Memoirs of the American Philosophical Society), (Amer Philosophical Society, 1995), 72.

[3] E. Balas, Michelangelo’s Medici Chapel: A New Interpretation (Memoirs of the American Philosophical Society), (Amer Philosophical Society, 1995), 70.

Florence Journal 2012: Michelangelo and La Accademia

Michelangelo and La Accademia

The Accademia is a gallery in Florence that we visited for a second time during our sixth week here. The Accademia is renowned for the David that was crafted at the hands of Michelangelo but also has many of his other, albeit unfinished, works.

The David, you will notice, is covered with wires to monitor the effect of movement around it as it is fairly fragile. This is because it spent 300 years exposed to the elements and in this time was struck by lightning and had his toe hammered off in the 1540’s. Although so carefully looked after because it is considered a masterpiece, it does have its faults. For example, the legs are slightly out of proportion and there is a crevice in his upper back where Michelangelo had simply run out of marble.

Michelangelo was known to work ‘into the stone’. Therefore, pushing the material back as he carved an image out of it. He always began a sculpture from the edge of the stone (unlike Donatello, who also did a portrayal of David during his career, who began his work from the center of the stone). This can be seen from the unfinished pieces from the 1503 commission in which Michelangelo was asked to sculpted the 12 disciples (one pictured below). This was never finished as he was bombarded with commissions following the success of his David - he didn’t have enough time!

Another attribute specific to Michelangelo was his ‘Infinito concept’. It does not mean unfinished per se, but rather that you must complete the rest in your own mind with your own experience. Evidence of this lies in the inscription of his completed Pieta that reads ‘work in progress’.

Florence 2012 Journal: Palazzo Vecchio

Palazzo Vecchio

The name of this government building in Florence means the ‘Old Palace’. It was given this name when Duke Cosimo 1^st changed the residency of the Medici from here to the Palazzo Pitti. It overlooks the Piazza de la Signoria and was extended under the Medici’s following the Republics short-lived rule.

Among the many impressive rooms of the palace is the Hall of 500. Originally built for the republic until Cosimo took over and commissioned it to be revamped. One of the main features of the room is the elaborate fresco cycle by Vasari and his workshop. There are numerous scenes with the horses and fighting men that have clearly been inspired by the Battle of Anghari fresco that is now hidden underneath.

The now hidden Battle of Anghiari has been the target of much research. One research team in particular, independent of the OPA, found evidence that the scene underneath Vasari’s fresco (opposite the entrance from the stairs) was in fact done by Leonardo. The pigments they found were typical of Leonardo and have never been attributed to any other artist. The technique to find this was with an endoscope. It was the only method approved by the mayor of Florence. The research was largely restricted in that they were only allowed to inject the endoscope in 5 different holes. These areas were chosen by the mayor as the areas had already been tampered with. Unfortunately, these prescribed holes were not near the inscription of ’Cerca Trova’ (He who looks for it shall find it), which is often believed to be a hint to the location of the original Leonardo - left behind by Vasari’s team. The research team had previously asked to be granted permission to use the non-invasive method of ‘Backscattering Neutronico’. However, this technique involves the use of fissionable neutrons and fears arose surrounding its safety; therefore, it was not given the go ahead.

Vasari’s intervention in the original Hall of 500 (Pictured Left, with Palazzo Vecchio Above) includes raising the height of the room, as with the entire building. He also covered a number of windows with plaster and redirected the course of the original staircase. We know this because of a number of written sources such as Giorgio Vasari’s ‘Le Vite de’ Pui’ Eccelenti Pittori’. But also because of the likes of Ultrasounds and Infrared Reflectograms which are able to signify areas with more air infiltration.

Other areas within the Palazzo Vecchio of note are the two Studiolo’s that home expensive, valuable items and quite often fine jewellery. They are fairly small and are in the shape of a treasure box to allude to it being a ‘chamber of miracles’.

Florence 2012 Journal: Capella Medicee

Capella Medicee

The Capella Medicee consists of Michelangelo‘s 16^th century ‘New Sacristy’ and the 17^th century ‘Chapel of Princes’. They are later additions to the original church of San Lorenzo that was erected in the 15^th century at the hands of Brunelleschi.

The New Sacristy is dedicated to St. Mary and she is thusly depicted opposite the altar. Michelangelo’s depiction of a breastfeeding Mary is highly unusual. The room also has a further two functions, one being where a priest would get ready and the other a tomb space. This triple function is emphasised in the three separate parts of the walls in the room.

Michelangelo has evidently incorporated Romanesque ideas into the design. Most notably he is influenced by Brunelleschi with the dome and colour scheme of white and grey. However, although he has drawn influences from elsewhere, they are not without his own twist. The dome, for example, is hanging on pendentives (see picture) instead of the octagonal ‘umbrella’ shape that was employed by Brunelleschi.

The chapel also has a Coffered ceiling, clearly inspiration taken from Rome and the Pantheon. This is probably no mistake, as the Medici held themselves in high esteem whilst also having ties with the Papacy in Rome. However, the New Sacristy has been left unfinished and is not what Michelangelo had envisioned.

The Chapel of the Princes is located opposite the main nave of San Lorenzo (hence importance) and has the Old Sacristy to the left and the New Sacristy to the right. Each tomb of each prince has a niche above in which a bust in situated with very idealised features. It is octagonal in shape which not only conveys the belief in resurrection but in this case also alludes to the sense of the eternal power of the Medici’s.

Florence 2012 Journal: Comparing the two Pulpits of the Baptistery in Pisa and Cathedral in Siena

Comparing the two Pulpits of the  Baptistery in Pisa and Cathedral in Siena.

The Pulpit in the Baptistery of Pisa was completed in 1260 and the Pulpit in Siena’s cathedral followed five years later and was eventually completed in 1268. Nicola Pisano was Pivotal in the sculpting of them both. However, Pisano’s son Giovanni, assisted him in the latter along with a possible relative of Alnorfo Di Cambio. As with most Pulpits, they have both been moved around in their respective locations. Furthermore, they both depict the conventional scenes of the life of Christ. Namely the Annunciation, the Adoration of the Magi, the Slaughter of the Innocents, the Crucifixion and the Last Judgement.

The earlier Pulpit (Fig. 2) was among the first to step away from what was typical for their form. It was built at a time when the Gothic style had been introduced by the Pisan Cardinal as a ‘fashionable’ style. You can see this in the ‘bushy capitals’ which are a supposed ’Gothic variation of the Corinthian capital’.[1]

Furthermore, Pisano also incorporates classical elements into his work. This can be seen across both Pulpits, in Fig. 2 with the naked classical figure (believed to be Hercules) and in Fig. 1 with the naked bodies in the Last Judgement scene. Conversely, such influences are most notably found in the form of Roman Sarcophagi. In fact, in the ‘Adoration of the Magi’ scene, St. Mary is depicted with a temple above her head - this is identical to a depiction found on a sarcophagus in the Camposanto (Fig. 2). What is more, it is asserted by Fred Kleiner that if you were to alter the dimensions of the panels slightly, then they would have been akin in form to Roman Sarcophagi.[2] This is all an allusion to Pisa as the ‘New Rome’ as they were reproducing exact replicas in some cases of classical sculpture. The historian Christopher Klenhenz puts it in the following terms:

‘This hexagonal Pulpit is decorated with scenes from the life of Christ that are characterized by classical forms; like the inscriptions on the face of the Cathedral, these forms connect the work to the popular theme of Pisa as new Rome’. [3]

However, while he did begin to use new elements he did also continue in Medieval tradition somewhat in that the bottom of the columns are supported by lions (there is one lion breastfeeding so we can only assume Pisano wanted to depict a lioness but did so wrongly as it has a mane). Their inclusion alongside new, innovative elements, could be because the lions were so symbolically important. Their importance derives from folklore that states  a lion will breathe into the open mouths of his cubs and give them vision which is an allusion to Resurrection. This feature was also carried forward for the later Pulpit in Siena; (Fig.1) but in contrast to the earlier pulpit, the latter lioness is depicted correctly.  This could be either testament to Pisano’s improvement as an artist or the involvement of others; Charles Norton asserts the former saying that the ‘Sienese pulpit shows the advance that Niccola had made in the six years since the Pisan pulpit was completed’.[4]

Considering the two Pulpits had were made under the same man, and not even a decade apart, they are bound to be similar. However, I believe the new generation of artists (in the form of his son, Giovanni) meant that the style of the latter Pulpit in Siena was developing akin to Proto - Renaissance sculpture. It was evidently not completely what we consider ‘Renaissance’ today but the development is evident. In my opinion, the Sienese Pulpit bridged the difficulties Nicola had with space and depth with the almost ease at which Giovanni achieved those very elements in his Pulpit in the Cathedral at Pisa at the beginning of the 14^th century.

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[1] C. Mamiya, F. Kleiner, Gardner’s Art Through the Ages, Western Perspective, (Wadsworth Publishing Co  Inc; 12^th Revised Edition, 2005), 406.

[2] Ibid.

[3] C. Klenhenz, Medieval Italy: An Encyclopedia: 002 The Routledge Encyclopaedias of the middle ages (Routledge, 2003), 906.

[4] C. Norton, Historical Studies of Church Building in the Middle Ages: Venice, Siena, Florence 1902 (Kessinger Publication, 2003), 132.

Florence 2012 Journal: Siena

Siena

On the 9^th of November we visited Siena.

The Palazzo Publico is situated in the Piazza del Campo: a shell shaped Piazza with 9 fragments. These fragments represent each of the 9 contrade (districts) of Siena that were present during its contruction in 1297. Its original purpose was to seat the house of 9, the mayor and the house of justice. It is built on a hill with a 30 metre decline from the north side to the south side of the palace and thus the ground is acknowledged to be insecure. Therefore the bottom of the building is made in stone, while the upper part is far lighter and built with bricks to keep the delicate ground underneath from collapsing. Opposite the Palazzo is the fountain that is used to water the horses during the biannual horse race held there.

It was paid for by one of the two major parties at the time: the Guelphs. They supported the Papacy unlike the other party, the Ghibellines, who supported the merchants. We know this because of the flat dentals (tourettes that look like teeth - pictured above) used on the building. The Guelphs were known to build flat ones whilst rounded dentals are attributed to the Ghibellines.

The right side of the palace (with the tower) is where the seat of the Mayor is, the middle is used for the government (originally the House of 9) and to the right is where the seat of justice is located. The tower, ‘Torre del Mangia’ is the latest addition built in 1338-48. The name means ‘Tower of the Eater’ and derives from the character of its first Guardian - Giovanni di Balduccio.  Infamously known for ‘eating’ all of that he earned!

Inside you can find the Fresco by Simone Martini in the Sala del Mappamondo (the World Map Room). It is slightly damaged due to water infiltration from the lodger located above, the salt content of the wall and the humidity from below. There is also evidence of the blue background peeling off but this is because the Lapis Lazuli (blue pigment) was applied in secco and therefore is likely to peel. It was completed in 1315 and had to be restored only 6 years later because of the problems mentioned beforehand.  The room in which it is located is called as it is because opposite the Maesta used to be a large rotating map of the world. The ability to rotate it has resulted in circular marks left behind on the wall.

The following room has a panoramic fresco by Ambrogio Lorenzetti depicting the ‘Good and Bad Government‘. It shows the strife caused by the previous ‘bad government’ then evolves into a harmonious depiction of the Sienese countryside under the new ‘Good Government’.

Siena’s cathedral was completed in the 13^th century and was rebuilt on an earlier site. There were plans to extend it ambitiously. However, the Black Death in the 1340’s meant that the work had to be put on hold. Once the Plague had passed on, the Sienese realised that there were fatal errors in what had already been built and that the insecure ground (as mentioned earlier) would not be able to support the structure. Therefore, work was never resumed and all that can be seen now are the outer walls of what was to become the new nave (See Left), to the right of the front façade.

The main Façade of the Cathedral took nearly 100 years to complete. It is said to have been created in two stages - the first stage of its construction was completed up to the Lunettes and the second was from the Lunettes upwards. The first stage began in the 1280’s and stopped abruptly in 1317. The majority of the work done was completed according to Giovanni Pisano’s (Nicola’s son) plans. The second stage was not completed until the least 1360-70’s and was fairly in keeping with Pisano’s plans. However, the new architect Giovanni di Cecco had to modify Pisano’s plans somewhat in order to accommodate for the OPA’s desire for the façade to be raised.

Therefore, the Cathedral is a combination of Sienese Romanesque (that looked towards Classical Antiguity) and the French Gothic style (Di Cecco’s influence). For example, the columns at either side begin in the traditional Romanesque style only to transform into Pinnacles as they reach the height of the façade, a typical  feature in Gothic architecture. Another thing to note are the black and white stripes not only seen on/inside of the Cathedral but throughout Siena too, they are the official colours of Siena.

Florence 2012 Journal: Pisa and Pistoia

Pisa & Pistoia

On the 5th of November we visited Pisa via Pistoia. During our time in the latter we saw the Romanesque church called ‘San Giovanni Afuera la Citta’ (St. John Outside of the City).

The church (below) is slightly more influenced by Pisan architecture than that of Florence. Notice the aqueduct arcades that are decorated with rhombuses‘ on the underside. Although this is a feature found briefly on the façade of Santa Maria Novella and San Miato al Monte, it is far more prominent in the Pisan Piazza dei Miracoli (in fact, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the cathedral and Baptistery are all completely covered in these arcades - pictured below).

Once in Pisa, we visited the Baptistery. It began construction in 1152 and was finished by 1363. The chief architect was initially Diotisalvi, later replaced by Nicola Pisano (who is responsible for the Pulpit inside). It is circular in shape and alludes to the belief in Resurrection while it also has a double shell construction on the roof. The inner roof credited to Diotisalvi is a pyramid shape; and Pisano’s roof is the outer shape that we see with the Cupola sat on top. The result of this structure is that the acoustics are perfect and on our visit we were lucky enough to see a demonstration from one of the curators!

Next we saw the cemetery: ‘Camposanto’ (Holy Field -1278). It was built by the same architect that oversaw the construction of the Leaning Tower, Giovanni di Simone. It is supposedly built around the ’Holy Soil’ that was plundered from Golgatha during the crusades (11th-13th century AD), hence its name. It is an oblong shaped cloister and thus stylistically Gothic. However, it is not entirely original due to the fact that it had to be rebuilt (albeit rebuilt identical to what stood before) after it was bombed by the allies in 1944.


Pisa’s Cathedral (Santa Maria Assunta) began construction in 1064 under the architect Buscheto. It is a prime example of Pisan Romanesque and the façade was built by a prominent artist from that era called Rainaldo. In keeping with Pisa trying to be the ‘New Rome’, they imitated the columns of the Pantheon. In doing so they made the columns out of one singular slab of rock - which is very impressive craftsmanship. The coffered ceiling is a 16th Century Medici addition following a fire that had damaged the previous roof.