D uring the last 30 years of Michelangelo’s life, his main pursuit was architecture. In 1537-39, he received the most ambitious commission of his career. Under Pope Paul III's (Farnese) rule, plans were made to remodel the buildings surrounding the Compidoglio of Rome. The Camidoglio (Capitol), located on the Capitoline Hill, had once been the civic and political center of ancient Rome, but after the medieval transformation, the importance and sacredness had been greatly forgotten. The pope wanted to transform it into a monumental civic piazza, worthy of the site, in order to reorganize it as a dynamic now hub for Roman Political life. Although little was built of Michelangelo’s plan for the Campidoglio before his death in 1564, his design is considered one of the most significant contributions ever made in the history of urban planning. Even today, The Campidoglio remains the most impressive civic centers ever built and has been a model and inspiration for countless others.
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Michelangelo designed the Campidoglio around an oval shape and, after redesigning the base, he placed the famous antique bronze equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius, the Roman emperor, in the center. Michelangelo’s design changed the facades of two of the existing buildings, added a new building for balance, and incorporated an oval pavement design. |
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The three sides of the Piazza are defined by palace facades. There is a flight of stairs on the fourth side leading to a large patio. The trapezoidal design of the piazza is dictated by the shape of the site. There is symmetrical scheme within the design as well as a sense of progression along the main axis toward the Senators’ Palace. Tthe Senator’s Palace and the Conservators’ palace were older buildings and had to be preserved behind new exteriors. The palaces were both built at an angel of 80 degrees instead of 90 degrees; therefore, the design of the Piazza was forced to be a trapezoidal shape rather than rectangular as the facades did no face each other squarely. Michelangelo proves his architectural genius by turning the problem into a positive feature. He added the “New Palace” on the left of the Piazza which complements the Conservators’ Palace in style and placement. Another addition involved making the Senators’ Palace look larger than it is by redesigning the facade. By doing so, the Senators’ Palace dramatically dominates the Piazza, serving as an architectural focal point. |
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The whole conception of Michelangelo’s design has the effect of a stage set. All three buildings are long but relatively narrow, like a show front with little behind it. The large stairway, called the "cordonata," lleading up to the only entrance of the Piazza in Michelangelo’s design provides a dramatic climax to the Piazza, helping to revive the sense of importance desired by the Pope. Design elements of the “New Palace” and its twin the Conservators’ Palace, combine empty spaces and solids, and horizontals and verticals in a way not found in any piece of architecture since ancient Rome. The two palaces also both have open porticos, linking the piazza and facades. This feature is also greatly influenced by Roman architecture, sharing the relation of courtyards to the arcades or a cloister that were prominent in Roman architecture. |
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Even though he was criticized for it, he combined many decorative motifs from different orders. These different orders combine in the two stories of the facade, making for Michelangelo's design to be the first consistent "giant order" of Corinthian pilasters. Michelangelo combined his giant pilasters with small Ionic columns, framing the upper story windows and flanking the loggia openings below. The use of the giant order would again be used on the exterior of St. Peter's Basilica as well as serving as an important aspect of much architecture in the late 16th century. For example, it is frequently used in Mannerist architecture and Baroque Architecture. Its use by Andrea Palladio in Neo-Palladian architecture and the giant order was a favored motif of the Beaux Arts-Architecture of 1880-1920. |
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Many of the design elements used in the facades have been seen in previous architectural structures. For example, the columns and beams of the porticoes are contained in a colossal order of pilasters that supports a heavy cornice topped by a balustrade which can be found in Bramante’s Tempietto. The difference lies in the fact that Michelangelo makes full use of them in his designs. He emphasizes the massiveness of the Senators’ palace by using the colossal order and balustrade above a tall base. |
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