The Lost Battles
As long as they remained intact they were the school of the world
(Benvenuto Cellini, The Life)
Cellini is here talking about the two enormous cartoons which were prepared by Michelangelo and Leonardo as preparation for the fresco paintings meant to be on the walls of the Council Hall in the Palazzo Vecchio.
Neither Michelangelo nor Leonardo ever finished the frescoes. The walls were later decorated by Giorgio Vasari.
In 2011 there have been attempts to see if some of Leonardo’s painting might have been hidden behind Vasari’s painting.
On this tour we will visit the Council Hall, and we will talk about this fascinating story.
Why did both Michelangelo and Leonardo leave the work? Why were the cartoons called the School of the world? And do parts of them still exist?
On the tour we will also talk about the Medici Family, as the Palazzo Vecchio has once been a Medici home.
