Rebuilding The Renaissance

From the identity of a frequently seen character in Caravaggio paintings to how many Caravaggio paintings there are in the world to how to secure tickets for Leonardo's "Last Supper" to how much the Medici were worth, and much, much more - this episode answers the very questions that you ask me about the great art, artists, and history of the Italian Renaissance.

The magnificent Basilica of St. Peter is our last stop as we explore the extraordinary collection of art and architecture in the Vatican. In addition to its great scale and beautiful decorum, the basilica is also home to renowned masterpieces such as Michelangelo's "Pietà" and Bernini's "Baldacchino," as well as the tombs of St. Pope John Paul II and St. Pope John XXIII.

The most famous work of art in the Vatican Museums is Michelangelo's "Sistine Chapel Ceiling." This episode explains how best to experience this stunning work of art, as well as the other masterpieces that are in the Sistine Chapel.

The next major stop in your visit to the Vatican Museums after the Gallery of the Maps is the former apartments of Pope Julius II. They are known as the "Rooms of Raphael" because they were decorated with beautiful frescoes by Raphael between 1507 and 1513, including his famous "School of Athens." This fresco depicts the greatest philosophical and scientific minds of the ancient world including Plato, Aristotle, Pythagoras, and Euclid.

This podcast examines the extraordinary collection of 16th and 17th century tapestries in the Vatican collection, many of which were designed by Raphael and his workshop. It also looks at the amazing array of geographical maps of Italian territories and Papal dominions in Renaissance Italy that cover more than a football field of wall space!