Michelangelo, God's Architect

The Story of His Final Years and Greatest Masterpiece

By: William E. Wallace

Narrated by: Simon Callow

Length: 8 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's summary

In this audiobook, acclaimed actor Simon Callow narrates the gripping untold story of Michelangelo's final decades - and his transformation into one of the greatest architects of the Italian Renaissance

As he entered his 70s, the great Italian Renaissance artist Michelangelo despaired that his productive years were past. Anguished by the death of friends and discouraged by the loss of commissions to younger artists, this supreme painter and sculptor began carving his own tomb. It was at this unlikely moment that fate intervened to task Michelangelo with the most ambitious and daunting project of his long creative life.

Michelangelo, God's Architect is the first book to tell the full story of Michelangelo's final two decades, when the peerless artist refashioned himself into the master architect of St. Peter’s Basilica and other major buildings. When the Pope handed Michelangelo control of the St. Peter’s project in 1546, it was a study in architectural mismanagement, plagued by flawed design and faulty engineering. Assessing the situation with his uncompromising eye and razor-sharp intellect, Michelangelo overcame the furious resistance of church officials to persuade the Pope that it was time to start over.

Leading Michelangelo expert William Wallace sheds new light on this least familiar part of Michelangelo’s biography, revealing a creative genius who was also a skilled engineer and enterprising businessman. The challenge of building St. Peter’s deepened Michelangelo’s faith, Wallace shows. Fighting the intrigues of church politics and his own declining health, Michelangelo became convinced that he was destined to build the largest and most magnificent church ever conceived. And he was determined to live long enough that no other architect could alter his design.

William E. Wallace is the Barbara Murphy Bryant distinguished professor of art history at Washington University in St. Louis. His books include Discovering Michelangelo: The Art Lover's Guide to Understanding Michelangelo's Masterpieces, Michelangelo: The Artist, the Man, and His Times, and Michelangelo at San Lorenzo.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2019 William E. Wallace (P)2019 Princeton University Press

Michelangelo the creative genius

I loved the focus on Michelangelo's' last 20 years. He was so focused on his work and appeared to come to storm level peace as opposed to turbulent storm level.

Michelangelo, architect, urban designer, artist

A must read for architects, urban planners and artists and everyone interested in creative industries. Definitely inspiring!

Not what I expected

The Audible blurb for this book highlighted Michaelangelo's work on St. Peter's as the main subject of the book. In truth only about 1/4 to 1/3 of the book is devoted to St. Peter's. The author doesn't even get to the subject until the third chapter. The remainder of the book covers Michelangelo dealing with old age, the workings of the Vatican and the Popes, and the rest of Michelangelo's late works. If that is what you are interested in, then you will enjoy the book. Since I was expecting more about St. Peter's, I wasn't captivated by it.

PDF is poor

Overall, an important work. A companion PDF is a good idea, especially for an art book. But the PDF is poor. Images are limited, of poor quality and surprisingly, no image of The Moses.
Mr. Callow's narration is great.