Page 31 - Mediterraneo e dintorni - nr 14

the SIStIne ChApel des of the Old Testament painted on the
vault, calling for this delicate and gi-
n 15 August 1483 one of the most gantic commission Michelangelo, who
Ofamous monuments of Christianity accepts against his will. The Tuscan
was inaugurated, a magnificent cultu- artist elaborates his own thematic and
ral and artistic treasure that today is an figurative program that replaces what
integral part of the Vatican Museums. had been given to him, ensuring that
Built between 1475 and 1481, the Sisti- the work merges and integrates into
ne Chapel, dedicated to the Assumption the architecture: the latter is no longer
of Virgin Mary, is a “painted box” - as just the “frame” but essence itself of the
defined by Antonio Paolucci, director of painted space. The very famous “Crea-
the Vatican Museums until 2016 - of tion of Adam”, painted between 1508
2500 square meters of wall painting, a and 1512, expresses the creative power
long space 40 meters and up to a ma- that God communicates to man. In
ximum of 21 meters, with dimensions 1534, back in Rome after the fall of the
equal to those of the Temple of Jerusa- Florentine republic, Michelangelo com-
lem. The entire building was also used pleted with the “Last Judgment” the de-
as a fortress of the Vatican. Today this coration of the Sistine Chapel on behalf
wonderful site is universally known of Pope Paul III: the large fresco on the
above all for its decorations that make back wall above the altar, finished in
it a Biblia Pauperum, that is to say that 1541, breaks traditional schemes as it
iconographic apparatus originally crea- places Christ in an empty space, while
ted to allow anyone to “read” and learn groups of figures that express the ten-
about the history of salvation, therefore sion between man and God are agita-
a sort of visual and visible theology. ted all around, according to the artist’s
Sandro Botticelli, Pietro Perugino, vision. The Sistine Chapel, beyond the
Pinturicchio, Domenico Ghirlandaio, purely artistic aspect, is the place whe-
Luca Signorelli, Piero di Cosimo are re the official ceremonies of the Pope
the main artists who have worked with are held as well as the conclave, when
it, and whose details can be appreciated a new Pope must be elected. Today,
today thanks to the new lighting sy- with its six million visitors a year, it
stem that enhances the touch of these is be among the most sought-after sites
great masters of the ‘400. in the world, but there is no intention
However, it is Michelangelo’s name to exceed this threshold since it is con-
that is most associated with the decora- sidered the limit for safeguarding and
“La creazione di Adamo” - Affresco di
Michelangelo Buonarroti, databile al 1511 tive aspect of the Chapel. And it is Pope maintaining the right environmental
e facente parte della decorazione della volta Julius II who decided to have the episo- conditions.
della Cappella Sistina

mosissima “Creazione Giudizio Universale (Michelangelo)
di Adamo”, dipinta fra Cappella Sistina, parete di fondo
il 1508 e il 1512, esprime
la potenza creativa che
Dio comunica all’uomo.
Nel 1534, tornato a Roma
dopo la caduta della
repubblica fiorentina,
Michelangelo completa
con il “Giudizio Uni-
versale” la decorazione
della Cappella Sistina su La Cappella Sistina vista dall’alto. Dal 1878 è sede stabile di
incarico di papa Paolo ogni conclave
III: il grande affresco sul-
la parete di fondo sopra nie ufficiali del Pontefice nonché il
l’altare, terminato nel 1541, rompe conclave, quando bisogna elegge-
gli schemi tradizionali in quanto re un nuovo Papa. Oggi, con i suoi
pone Cristo in uno spazio vuoto, sei milioni di visitatori all’anno
mentre tutto intorno si agitano risulta essere tra i siti più ricercati
gruppi di figure che esprimono la al mondo, ma non vi è alcuna in-
tensione tra uomo e Dio, secondo tenzione di far superare tale soglia
la visione dell’artista. poiché essa è ritenuta il limite per
La Cappella Sistina, al di là del la salvaguardia e il mantenimento
fatto squisitamente artistico, è il delle giuste condizioni ambientali.
luogo in cui si svolgono le cerimo-

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