Book&Art: The Sistine secrets - Michelangelo's forbidden messages in the heart of the Vatican
Written by Melania Di Fazio
Translated by Sarah Fortunée Tabbakh
If there is one piece that fascinates the world because of its beauty, its mysteries and its concealed history, it’s the Sistine Chapel. A place where, for almost a century, the best Italian workshops and the greatest Masters of the Renaissance painting have given free rein to their mastery. Amongst the frescoes that cover the walls of the Chapel from floor to ceiling, the ones painted by Michelangelo Buonarroti are without any doubt the most famous and most admired frescoes.
Scholar Roy Doliner and rabbi Benjamin Blech dedicated an important part of their research to these masterpieces, summarised in “The Sistine Secrets” published by Bur Saggi. The authors, driven by a deep Jewish culture, managed to reveal many hidden messages behind the pictures painted by Michelangelo. Did you know that in the Renaissance, studying and reading the Apocryphal Gospels and Talmud was common practice, regardless of your religion? People were much more cultivated and open-minded back then… You will lose yourself in this thriller, discovering why Michelangelo painted the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil as a fig tree instead of as an apple tree. You will also learn that Buonarroti was a connoisseur of the arts of divination: you have no idea how many cabalistic symbols are hidden behind the biblical scenes.
And think that, along with these unveiled mysteries, are tales about Michelangelo’s life and a special tour within the Vatican walls. I believe this book could become the first one you will read amongst the pile of books you already have at home. So… enjoy!
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