Michelangelo 4: The Architecture

Part 2: Beyond the building - architecture and urban planning in Rome 

It is a remarkable aspect of the Renaissance that its greatest proponents were great in all things - and Michelangelo was, of course, no exception. Although he saw himself primarily as a sculptor, he ended up sculpting both light and space, using the fall of light to give meaning to his sculptures, and then to do the same for the buildings which housed them. He could also guide our looking, and even the way we move, something which is revealed by looking at his late experiments in town planning. Often overlooked, this aspect of his career helped to establish the theatricality of Rome.

There is no case study this week - we will look at the Florentine architecture in part 1, and in part 2 we will move south to the Eternal City.