Italy. Gold Proof and Silver Mega-Coins Released in Tribute to the Genius of Michelangelo

Michelangelo is uniquely remembered as an Italian Renaissance sculptor, painter, architect, and poet who exerted an unparalleled influence on the development of Western art. During his own lifetime, Michelangelo was considered the greatest living artist and ever since then he has been held to be one of the greatest artists of all time. As a result of Michelangelo’s fame while he was living, his career was more fully documented than that of any artist of the time or earlier. In fact, he was the first notable Western artist whose biography was published during his own lifetime.

Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni was born on the 6th March 1475 in Caprese, Florence and into a family that had for several generations belonged to minor nobility. At the time of his birth, his father was the administrator of the small dependent town of Caprese. Michelangelo became an apprentice at the age of 13, to the city’s most prominent painter, Domenico Ghirlandaio, for a three-year term, but he left after one year believing he had learned all he could. With an obvious talent, he was taken under the wing of the ruler of the city, Lorenzo de’ Medici who surrounded himself with poets and intellectuals of which, Michelangelo was included. Before the influential Medici family was overthrown in 1494, Michelangelo had left Florence and travelled to Bologna where he was hired to succeed a recently deceased sculptor to finish carving the last small figures required to complete a grand project known as the tomb and shrine of St. Dominic, completing it in 1495. It was when he travelled to Rome in 1496 that his name became somewhat prominent and where his primary works were in sculpting. His work known as 'Pietà' in 1497 earned him greater notoriety and when he returned to Florence, it was as a famous sculptor and where he created ‘David’ one of his most famous works from 1501 to 1504.

It was in 1505 that Pope Julius II summoned Michelangelo back to Rome and commissioned him to design his burial tomb and memorial. Unfortunately the two men quarrelled and because of the many other demands on the artist's time, the project was never completed. Michelangelo did produce a sculpture of Moses for the tomb which led to his next major commission – creating frescoes for the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican in 1508. Completed in 1512, it was recognised at once as a great work of art and from then on Michelangelo was regarded as Italy's greatest living artist. Since their completion, the frescoes have undergone several restorations, notably in 1625, 1710, 1935 and most recently, the last project to restore the Frescoes in the 20^th century was begun in 1980 and completed in 1994.  

The new pope, Leo X then commissioned Michelangelo to rebuild the façade of the church of San Lorenzo in Florence. Though the project was eventually abandoned, it marked the beginning of Michelangelo's activity as an architect. In 1534, Michelangelo returned once again to Rome where he was commissioned to paint 'The Last Judgement' on the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel from 1537 until 1541. From 1546 he was increasingly active again as an architect, in particular creating part of the great church of the Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican City – otherwise known as St Peter's Basilica. The project was intended to replace the old St. Peter's Basilica and church buildings that had stood from the 4th to 16th centuries, the new Basilica’s construction commenced on the 18 April 1506 and was completed on the 18 November 1626. Michelangelo died in Rome on the 18 February 1564 at the age of 88 and was laid to rest in the basilica of Santa Croce in his hometown, Florence, Italy. He did not live long enough to see the Basilica’s completion, in particular the magnificent dome which has been referred to as the greatest creation of the Renaissance by many historians.

Designed by engraver Uliana Pernazza, she gains inspiration from several aspects of the renaissance genius. The obverse side depicts a centred three-quarter facing portrait of Michelangelo painted by the artist mannerist and sculptor Daniele da Volterra around 1545 and which is presently on display at the Casa Buonarroti Museum in Florence, Italy. Behind the portrait is a depiction of the complex spiralling pavement of the pavement of Piazza del Campidoglio in Rome with a twelve-pointed star at its centre which was designed in 1546 by the artist. Above the primary design and along the upper rim is the text REPUBBLICA and below the design the text ITALIANA. The reverse side beautifully and intricately details the portion of the fresco located on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel entitled ‘The creation of Adam’ – here the finger of Almighty God on his right hand is extended to the finger on the left hand of Adam, his own creation. Above the primary design and along the rim is the inscription MICHELANGELO and in the field just below the inscription are the commemorative years 1475 and 2025. Just below the design are the coin’s denomination of 5 EURO and the R mintmark denoting the Mint of Rome seen to the left. Along the lower rim is the commemorative inscription QUESTO SOL M'ARDE E QUESTO M'INNAMORA (the sun burns me and it makes me fall in love)

Available from the 4^th March, each gold and silver proof coin is encapsulated and presented in a heavy card case with magnetic closure, the certificate of authenticity is printed on the case.

The large size silver coin is produced with an ultra-high relief strike, further enhancing the intricate design on the obverse and reverse sides. Specially encapsulated to accommodate its diameter and depth, the coin is housed in a custom case and accompanied with a certificate of authenticity. For additional information, please visit the e-webshop of the IPZS.