![]() ![]() Three sternly worded letters were sent from Rome to the rulers of the northern city demanding that the pope’s artist be sent back.Īware of this exchange, Michelangelo worried about what he should do. If the artist was in trouble before, he was even more so after the pope discovered that he had taken refuge in Florence. So, faced with this impossible situation, Michelangelo decided his best option was to get out of Dodge. “He knelt before the Pope, who looked wrathfully at him, and said as if in anger, ‘Instead of coming to us, you have waited for us to come and find you.’” This was a man of God who was not to be crossed. His problem with the terms of victory? He couldn’t decide whether he wanted to accept their clause that the citizen’s lives would be spared. In just one example of Julius II’s aggressive reign, he allegedly dithered over whether to accept an offer of surrender from the town of Mirandola in 1510 after a successful siege. It’s tough to contradict a powerful religious ruler, particularly one who was more concerned with conquering lands than conquering souls. It was not a good situation for Michelangelo to find himself in. Pope Julius II became furious that the artist was seemingly taking his money without producing any visible work. It was to be an immense undertaking, after all.īut his papal patron was not as impressed. For eight months, he focused on these preparatory acts, which, even an artistic novice would concede, seem necessary. Even some of his associates thought so.)Īs the payments for the project began rolling in, Michelangelo set about planning the complex piece and sourcing marble to use that met his high standards. ![]() (Yes, it’s a little weird that the ruler of the Catholic kingdom immediately began considering his death upon his assent to the top position in the Holy See. In 1505, the pope commissioned the sculptor to create his tomb. Michelangelo’s association with Pope Julius II began almost as soon as the new pope took power. Lost in the flurry of destruction was the impact this act would have on the history of Renaissance art-the statue was one of the rare bronze masterpieces created by the one and only Michelangelo. They gathered in front of the Basilica of San Petronio and pulled down the 11-foot bronze statue of Julius II that was mounted on the facade. When Annibale Bentivoglio II took Bologna back from Pope Julius II after a three year papal reign, he called on the citizens to carry out a symbolic show of victory. A war for power and control raged between the ruling family of the town, the Bentivoglios, and papal forces led by Pope Julius II, who had come to power in 1503 worshiping the sword more than God.Īs the city endured a tug-of-war between aristocratic tyranny and a marauding pope, there would seem to be very little choice for the ordinary people just trying to live their lives in Renaissance Italy.īut in 1511, they threw their lot in-at least for a brief time-with the devil they knew. It was not easy to be a citizen of Bologna in the early 1500s. ![]()
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