Michelangelo was extremely productive from a very young age and fortunately, in Florence, we have several of his fascinating earlier works.
Casa Buonarroti was lived in by generations of Michelangelo’s family into the 1800s who conserved his works and celebrated his life as an artist in the various chambers of the palace. Amongst its collection of surprising treasures are terracotta models, sketches and studies by Michelangelo. The extraordinary Centauromacchia, a dynamic and vibrant relief in marble expressing an aggressive and crowded battle of male nude figures, he sculpted as a mere 17 year old.
The Bargello Museum, initially a prison and police headquarters, allows us to step further back in time. We can trace the steps of Florentine precursors of Michelangelo, artists that, like him, pushed the boundaries of technique and convention such as Brunelleschi’s bronze relief created in 1401 for the competition for Baptistry doors and Donatello’s two sculptures of David and Saint George.
In the Bargello, we find more sculptures by Michelangelo which give us insight into the artist’s quest for balance, as seen in the Bacchus. His mastery of texture and layers are pervasive in the Pitti Tondo, and the rising artist’s depth are further reflected in the silent and enigmatic gaze of the Brutus.
Duration: 3 hrs
Sites visited: Casa Buonarroti, Museo del Bargello*
Price for 1-8pax: €270
Additional forfeit price for headsets for 5-8pax: €30
*Entry fees: not included
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