The Agony and the Ecstasy: A Novel of Michelangelo

The Sistine Chapel is opened to the public on Christmas Day, 1541. The public is awed by Michelangelo’s depiction of the Last Judgment, bringing many people to his studio to offer congratulations. Not everyone appreciates the work, however. Cardinal Caraffa reiterates his belief that the painting is sinful; he is joined by Sangallo, the architect of the Vatican (and the nephew of Michelangelo’s old friend). The Pope sides with Michelangelo, however, and commissions more work from him while other artists sketch the Last Judgment to learn from Michelangelo’s work.

With some minor tweaks to the design, Michelangelo finally completes the tomb of Pope Julius. The statue of Moses is the central figure in the design and earns much praise and attention. During this time, Michelangelo’s correspondence with Vittoria has diminished. She writes less frequently, but when she does write, she urges Michelangelo’s to do his duty, as she herself must do. Michelangelo is upset, even more so when he learns that she is sick. Vittoria rarely leaves the convent where she is living. Michelangelo distracts himself with his busy workshop.

The Italian Inquisition is started in Rome by Cardinal Caraffa. The Inquisition judges which books are permitted to be sold, and Michelangelo becomes concerned for his own work. He is also worried that Caraffa will target Vittoria, who is accused of being an advocate for reform within the Church. When Michelangelo meets Vittoria, she has become frail. He assures her that he will always love her, no matter how she looks. His love, she says, has helped to heal an old wound, but she plans to make her peace with the Church, sensing that her death is close. She wants to “die in grace” (722). Her decision to seek Caraffa’s forgiveness reminds Michelangelo of Lorenzo speaking to Savonarola on his deathbed. Michelangelo worries that she has been tortured; Vittoria says that she has been tortured by her own mind. As they part, he fears that she is speaking as though they are already dead.

Sangallo’s redesign calls for the Sistine Chapel to be torn down, threatening Michelangelo’s work. Michelangelo goes to the Pope, who puts a halt to the work. The Pope says that the Vatican lacks funds to proceed with Sangallo’s plans, though Sangallo believes that Michelangelo is to blame. Sangallo and Bigio, his assistant, ally with Caraffa to censor all art in Rome. Despite their accusations of sinfulness, Michelangelo’s work in the Sistine Chapel remains deeply loved by the public.

The Pope recruits Michelangelo to study the Vatican defenses planned by Sangallo. Michelangelo criticizes the plans, and the Pope agrees with him, appointing Michelangelo to consult on the project. When Michelangelo offers his “candid criticisms” (725) of Sangallo’s plans for the Farnese Palace, putting forward his own suggestions, Sangallo spreads rumors that Michelangelo is trying to supplant him as the Vatican’s architect. Michelangelo denies these claims.

Caraffa and the Inquisition continue to call for censorship. Michelangelo, meanwhile, is amused to learn that his poetry is being studied alongside the classics. Michelangelo arranges for Tomasso to be appointed to the Farnese Palace project, having helped him to develop as an artist and architect. Meanwhile, Michelangelo works on frescoes in the Pauline chapel. He paints himself into a depiction of Christ being taken down from the cross.

Aretino, the letter writer who tried to blackmail Michelangelo, returns. He spreads rumors that Michelangelo’s relationship with Tomasso is romantic in nature. Michelangelo is sickened by the suggestion, having never been accused of homosexuality before. Even when he has lived and worked alongside many admirable men, he has never been accused of loving them. As the rumors spread, Michelangelo is determined to ignore them rather than give Aretino what he wants. Tomasso is concerned for Michelangelo’s reputation more than his own, yet he advises that they ignore the rumors.

Sangallo dies, so Michelangelo is appointed official architect of St. Peter’s Basilica. Though he has thought long and hard about the project, Michelangelo insists that—at more than 70 years old—he is too old to take charge of such an immense undertaking. Even then, he remembers his original conversations about St. Peter’s Basilica. He still believes that Bramante borrowed heavily from him, meaning that he feels an obligation to see through this work, though he refuses to be paid for his “grueling labor” (731). Each morning, he continues to paint in the Pauline chapel, then spends his afternoons overseeing construction. The construction workers remain loyal to Sangallo, meaning that progress is slow. With the Pope’s permission, he fires the disloyal workers and hires his own team. Work progresses at a rapid rate. With the Pope excited by this progress and Michelangelo inspired by the prospect of restoring the glory of Rome, Michelangelo and Tomasso begin to plan 50 years of construction work, knowing that much of it will be completed long after Michelangelo’s death.

Cardinal Caraffa targets Vittoria’s family and friends. Even though she is close to death, she moves to a different convent to avoid persecution. Michelangelo visits her occasionally. She does not always speak, but she reveals that she has sought special permission to see his Last Judgment. Though she is close to death, she speaks about his work with a vivacity and enthusiasm that he appreciates. Though she is awaiting her reunion with God, she tells Michelangelo that he will not need her. His love is not a person, but art itself, she says, so he will always have love as long as he has his art.

Vittoria dies. Michelangelo visits her body; her youth seems restored, and she is at peace. Though Caraffa will not allow her to be buried in Rome, the sisters in the convent arrange for her to be smuggled out of the city. She is buried beside her husband in a grave in Naples. Michelangelo finds this ironic, that she should be buried alongside the man who did not love her. Her husband spent so much effort trying to be apart from her, only to be placed next to her for eternity.

As the foremost artist and architect in Rome, Michelangelo is sought out for many commissions. Those in Florence want him to return home, though he is committed to his work in the Pauline chapel and in St. Peter’s Basilica. In his free time, he carves a sculpture of Christ descending from the cross, perhaps hoping to place it on his own tomb. For the first time, he feels that he does not have the energy to keep up with his plans. He takes out his frustration on those around him. Many of the people he once knew are now dead. Granacci, Baglioni, Balducci, and Sebastiano have all grown old and died. His brothers have also died, so he urges his nephew to marry and continue the family name. Tomasso is also married with children of his own.

The death of Pope Paul makes Michelangelo worry that his work will be held up. Nicolo, the son of Contessina, is expected to be the new Pope. When he is poisoned, however, Michelangelo comforts himself by carving marble. He knew Nicolo well, almost like a son. Pope Julius III is elected. His hedonistic, luxurious lifestyle gives Michelangelo hope that he will be “confirmed as architect of St. Peter’s” (738). Biglio, Sangallo’s apprentice, accuses Michelangelo of hiding the secrets of his plans for St. Peter’s Basilica. Michelangelo has never written down formal plans, storing everything in his mind. Michelangelo successfully defends his work and wins back his commission, only for the Pope to halt the project a few months later to divert funds elsewhere.

Michelangelo breaks his arm while carving. He has to be helped down from his statue, like Christ from the cross, and his pride means that he is reluctant to seek out a doctor. His assistant, Urbino, helps Michelangelo. When Urbino reveals his desire to return to Florence and start a family, Michelangelo offers to help him set up a home in Rome by selling a valuable painting. Urbino marries and starts a family in Rome; Michelangelo feels that Urbino is like a son to him, so he appreciates the presence of Urbino’s family. In 1555, the artists of Rome celebrate Michelangelo’s 80th birthday. The Pope dies, and in his place, Cardinal Cervini becomes Pope Marcellus II. Since Michelangelo has long considered the man his enemy, he prepares to return to Florence, only for the new Pope to die after three weeks. Michelangelo remains in Rome.

Michelangelo’s relief is short-lived. Carafa is elected, becoming Pope Paul IV. Michelangelo fears that this new Pope and his Inquisition will be much like Savonarola in Florence, many years before. He does not flee, but he is summoned to defend himself before his Last Judgment. Michelangelo insists that the fresco is not evil. The Pope wants the wall whitewashed, while other artists campaign for the fresco to remain. Daniele de Volterra, an apprentice to Michelangelo, strikes a deal with the Pope. He will paint coverings over all the nude bodies in the fresco, so that it will no longer be considered sinful. He promises Michelangelo that he will take a long time over the project and that he will use a special thin kind of paint that can be removed later.

Sigismondo, the last of Michelangelo’s brothers, dies. Urbino also dies, so Michelangelo feels compelled to support Urbino’s family, considering them like a family of his own, though they feel that they must return to Florence. More alone than ever, Michelangelo is distraught to discover a problem in the building of St. Peter’s Basilica. The project will be set back many years, and he is accused of being too old to oversee the work. Michelangelo defends himself. Tomasso comes together with the other artists, calling on Michelangelo to construct a model of his plans for the dome of the building so that they may finish his work if he dies before completion.

The dome of St. Peter’s Basilica is to be Michelangelo’s last great work, a “dome unlike any other” (750). He labors long and hard over the model, inspired by the domes of the Pantheon and the Duomo in Florence. The Pope dies and, with him, the Inquisition is brought to a violent end. A mob runs riot through Rome, releasing the prisoners from the cells of the Inquisition. The newly elected Pope Pius IV ushers in an era of peace across Europe. Michelangelo is confirmed in his position and rushes to finish his work before he dies. As Bigio conspires against him, Michelangelo asserts his authority, and the Pope dismisses Bigio. The Pope issues a decree that Michelangelo’s plans “may not be altered in the smallest detail” (753).

Michelangelo sculpts for pleasure. As he works on Christ descending from the cross, he is struck by a sudden inspiration. He envisions a whole new form of architecture and wishes that he had enough time to put his vision into marble. Michelangelo blacks out due to a stroke. He loses memory of what happens and feels a numbness down the side of his body. He is put to bed and told to rest, only to wake up in the night and sneakily carve the marble by candlelight. Two days later, he suffers another stroke. This time, people are convinced that he will die soon. Many people come to pay tribute to him and “to bid him farewell” (756). Michelangelo writes his will. He wants to be buried in Florence, though the Pope insists that he should be buried in St. Peter’s Basilica. Tomasso promises that he will finish Michelangelo’s work. On his deathbed, Michelangelo takes a mental itinerary of his body of work. He thinks about what he has achieved. In his mind, he sees himself entering St. Peter’s Basilica. He looks up at the completed dome and feels his soul ascending upward to become part of “space, of time, of heaven, and of God” (758).