Architecture The city of Rome revived in a spectacular way in the fifteenth century. From , the popes were politically stronger because the weakness caused by the election of two rival popes since had ended. They actively encouraged the study of Rome’s history. The ruins in Rome were carefully excavated by archaeologists (archaeology was a new skill).
This inspired a ‘new’ style in architecture, which was actually a revival of the imperial Roman style – now called ‘classical’. Popes, wealthy merchants and aristocrats employed architects who were familiar with classical architecture. Artists and sculptors were also to decorate buildings with paintings, sculptures and reliefs. Some individuals were skilled equally as painters, sculptors and architects.
The most impressive example is Michelangelo Buonarroti ( - ) – immortalised by the ceiling he painted for the Pope in the Sistine Chapel, the sculpture called ‘The Pieta’ and his design of the dome of St Peter’s Church, all in Rome. Filippo Brunelleschi ( - ), the architect who designed the spectacular Duomo of Florence, had started his career as a sculptor. Italian architecture in the sixteenth century copied many features of imperial Roman buildings. C HANGING C ULTURAL T RADITIONS ACTIVITY Describe the different scientific elements in the work of sixteenth- century Italian artists.
T HEMES IN W ORLD H ISTORY Another remarkable change was that from this time, artists were known individually, by name, not as members of a group or a guild, as earlier.