Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling Audiobook By Ross King cover art

Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling

 Preview

$0.00 for first 30 days

Try for $0.00
Access a growing selection of included Audible Originals, audiobooks, and podcasts.
You will get an email reminder before your trial ends.
Audible Plus auto-renews for $7.95/mo after 30 days. Upgrade or cancel anytime.

Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling

By: Ross King
Narrated by: Alan Sklar
Try for $0.00

$7.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $18.88

Buy for $18.88

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
Switch payment method
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use, License, and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

In 1508, despite strong advice to the contrary, the powerful Pope Julius II commissioned Michelangelo Buonarroti to paint the ceiling of the newly restored Sistine Chapel in Rome. During the four extraordinary years that Michelangelo spent laboring over the 12,000 square foot ceiling, power politics and personal rivalries swirled around him. He battled ill health, financial and family difficulties, inadequate knowledge of the art of fresco, and the Pope's impatience - a history that is more compelling than most novels. The author presents a magnificent tapestry of day-to-day life for the artist, the upheaval of early 16th-century Italy, as well as uncommon insight into the intersection of art and history. In the end, Michelangelo produced one of the world's most renowned artistic wonders.

©2002 Ross King (P)2003 The Audio Partners Publishing Corp. Art Art & Literature Artists, Architects & Photographers Europe Historical History & Criticism Italy Religious World Middle Ages Renaissance Funny Thought-Provoking Pope Rome Art History

Critic reviews

"King chronicles Michelangelo's aesthetic decisions and clarion triumphs over myriad forms of adversity with expertise and contagious enthusiasm." ( Booklist)
"King's historical account...is splendid, thorough, and detailed. Skylar's narration is perfect for the project. His lively and expressive reading add a realistic edge to a centuries-old tale." ( Publishers Weekly)
Captivating Narrative • Engaging Historical Context • Detailed Artistic Techniques • Educational Content • Debunked Myths
Highly rated for:
All stars
Most relevant  
I really loved being able to read along while I listened to the book! However, the audible thing would skip over words, lines, and sometimes even pages of words.

Great reading

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I really enjoyed this book, as a historic novel it was well written and enjoyable. It made me want to go back to Italy to see the Sistine chapel again!!

sistine chapel

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Very interesting information, and I enjoyed reading all about it… but I knew I was not going to retain much once it was over.

In one ear and out the other

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I loved all the detail not just about Michelangelo’s life, but about all the political turmoil surrounding it. The only reason for the 4 stars in reading is pronunciation. If the reader chooses, in this case, to go with actual Italian pronunciation, he needs to stick with it throughout. Many names were mispronounced. I’m Italian and it just bothers me.

Great story not so great reading

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This book is great because it gives you so much context without overwhelming you with details and information. It’s pretty quick and to the point, while still telling a great story and helping the reader understand the climate of Italy at the time and a little bit more about Michelangelo himself. The only thing I didn’t enjoy was the narration. He annunciated certain words in a weird way and it just seemed forced, at times.

Very informative

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
After reading Ross King’s book twice and listening to this audible for the second time, I cannot wait to visit the Vatican again in the Spring of 2022. Ross King brings this amazing ceiling and Michelangelo to life again.

Amazing

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I liked the writing as well as the Reader. I knew that the times were volatile, but see here the effect on the work of Michelangelo.

Excellent historical rendering of Michelangelo’s experience.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
As another reviewer wrote, I wanted some background on some of the sites we plan to visit soon. I highly recommend this book for travelers to Rome and also those who enjoy historical drama. A fascinating account of art, religion, politics, family, and war. The narration was suberb.

History Comes Alive

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Interesting history of Michelangelo and his work on the Sistine Chapel and other great works. Good background information which would be nice to have other authors substantiate.

Interesting

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I love hearing stories of artusys, impressionist, surrealist, I.e. Peggy Guggenheim collection and Jackson Pollock. Can't get enough. keep them coming

Nonstop inyerest

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews