Often called Il Divino (“the divine one”), Michelangelo di Lodivico Buonorrati Simoni—more commonly known simply as Michelangelo—is one of the most heralded figures of the Renaissance. Receiving commissions for his work at the young age of fourteen, Michelangelo’s artistic career spanned more than half-a-century, creating masterful works in several mediums. Today, Michelangelo’s iconic sculptures, paintings and frescoes are what make Italy an important stop for any art lover.
This fall, Realtraveler DareToDream, traveling from Chicago with her niece, stopped in Florence, Venice, Rome and Vatican City during her tour of Italy and the United Kingdom. She writes about the immense feeling of wonder that filled her while making her way through the splendid hallways of the Sistine Chapel; about being staggered by the beauty of Michelangelo’s Pieta in Rome; and of the intricate details of the Medici Chapel in Florence. Michelangelo is widely known for his incredible depictions of awe-inspiring grandeur and DareToDream perhaps captures it best in this passage from her journal:
“We fast paced through halls after halls of paintings, sculptures, and artifacts dated thousands of years back, until we reached the unparalleled sublimity of Sistine Chapel. The ceiling that is filled with Michelangelo’s paintings drawn by his angelic hands. I don’t know why. Right there, the time seemed to have stood still. A sense of sacredness and also sadness overwhelmed me. I didn’t have enough time to study/enjoy it. Nothing can bring me back to Rome, but this one. Even so, the sight of these biblical/religious paintings/frescoes on the ceiling has [quenched] my thirst for art. I can live peacefully even if I don’t visit another art museum for the rest of my life now that I have seen it.” (more…)
DareToDream spent eight days in Italy seeing almost all of Michelangelo’s work from the hallowed inner sanctums of the Vatican to his various sculptures in the Medici Chapel. Surprisingly, she opted not to see Michelangelo’s most famous work, the sculpture of David, satisfied only to see a replica of the statue in the courtyard of Uffizi. After nearly an entire week of traveling around Florence to visit
almost every museum in the city, DareToDream was afflicted with a strange, self-diagnosed illness that should serve as a warning to other museum-going Realtravelers not to over-do it: “I had what they called-ART HANGOVER. My niece must have been thrilled to hear that. :-)”
Michelangelo’s art can be found in almost every major city throughout Italy, making for a great road trip for any art lover. Those that are interested in making the trek should definitely check out DareToDream’s blog for tips and advice about where to stay and what to do.
