Michelangelo y su obra (parte 3).

 

Complejo arquitectónico de la Basílica de San Lorenzo, Florencia, Italia.
Foto: Richardfabi, 2005.

Durante el año de 1516, llegó otro gran proyecto: Miguel Ángel tomaría parte en el diseño y en la decoración del complejo arquitectónico de la Basílica de San Lorenzo, en Florencia. Para ello, había que postergar los trabajos de la tumba del Papa Julio II, ¡otra vez!  Ese era un destino, que parecía perseguirle por dondequiera... En esta ocasión, los vaivenes y turbulencias de la política, influirían, para que a fin de cuentas, también debiese abandonar Florencia, en 1534, frustrado al no ver concluida su obra. De cualquier modo, quedaría tras de sí, la señal inconfundible de su genio. 

Rome, the eternal (part 5).

San Bonaventura Church. Palatine Hill, Rome.
Photo: Jean-Paul GRANDMONT, 2011. Lic. CC BY 3.0

Times would come, when the Roman throne was occupied by Etruscan personages. This might be a hint, that Rome was on a disadvantageous situation, maybe as a result of a military defeat. But, there is no evidence about this, in its historians´ writes. Is well known their trending to manipulate and mythicise the facts, to glorify the past of the city... they attempted to keep its aura of greatness. Hence, their narrations from the early times, are plentiful in fantasy descriptions and Roman virtue lessons.

Rome, the eternal (part 4).

 

Ruins of Pompei. Photo: Daniel Delgado, 2010.

Among the basic objectives, in the study of the events of the past, is the correct interpretation of the available data. It permits an increase in the probability to get closer to the historical truth. Of course, most of the time is not an easy task. It may happen the same as the Ancient Egypt: plenty of clues, but difficult to understand. Or as the Sumerian, with their history buried under tons of sediments. Perhaps, by chance, as it happened with Pompei. What to say about Troy and its discovery, by someone who believed in Homer´s legends? But it is also possible to face hard to solve riddles...

Rome, the eternal (part 3).

 

It is hard to imagine a world where the persons of one of both sexes begin to be scarce. Something like that, might happen on a post-apocalyptic scenery. By that time, the human race would have its days numbered, unless the scientists get to develop some alternative method, to perpetuate our species. Or maybe mother nature itself, manage to find a way to modify our procreation ways. Before our very eyes, might be ocurring some of those changes, but are hard to notice, since they occur very slowly. But, is better to leave this, for the science fiction stories...

Rome invaded by the Barbarians. By Ulpiano Checa, 1887. Source: Poniol60.

Rome, the eternal (part 2).

 

The Legend.

Anaeas carrying Anchises. Black figures oinochoe, ca. 520-510 bC.
Photo: Bibi Saint-Pol, 2007. Louvre Museum, Paris, France.

On the banks of the Tiber, something unusual disrupted the monotony of the day. A basket was hardly floating over the turbulent water, till it got stuck at a crook of the river. Curious, the first to get close, was a she-wolf, whose cubs were surely waiting for her. Drooling greedy, stared at two new born babies. For a merciless hunter, it meant the chance of having an easy feast. However, an invisible force stopped the beast, and was stronger than her instinct! Since that moment, stranger as it may seem, the wolf took care of both infants and feeded them as her own cubs. Obviously, the children were under the protection of the gods. But, who were them? Why had someone given them to the waters of the river?

Rome, the eternal (part 1).

Maquette of Rome, Times of Constantine, by Italo Gismondi, ca. 1937.
Photo: Annie Dalbera, 2011. Lic. CC BY 2.0

Rome exerted an undeniable influence over the so called "Western culture". For several centuries, they imposed an omnimode power, ruling most part of the known world. In History, it would never happen again... The Pax Romana, despite all its faults, induced a cultural unit trending, along their vast domains. Of course, that finally brought interesting consequences. Later, when the roman empire decayed and fell, came stagnation times. But, the human spirit carried their good seed. 

Michelangelo y su obra (parte 2).

 

Julio II, Copia por: Taller de Rafael Sanzio, ca.1512. 
Museo Ufizzi, Florencia, Italia. Fuente: Web Gallery of Art.

La llegada de Julio II al trono de San Pedro, a finales de 1503, significó una verdadera sacudida en la política europea. Pero al mismo tiempo, dio un notable impulso a las artes, con sus grandes proyectos y por su tendencia a patrocinar a los artistas, como mecenas. Puede afirmarse, que bajo su influjo se produjeron algunas de las obras más importantes del Renacimiento. Entre sus más caros anhelos, estaba la construcción de un gran mausoleo, para sí mismo. Habría de ser algo majestuoso e impactante, donde se combinaran elementos arquitectónicos y escultóricos. A su juicio, el indicado para acometer ese proyecto era Miguel Ángel. Hay que agregar, que según todos los indicios, esto le atrajo la envidia de algunos de sus contemporáneos.