In the early 16th Century, two great artists were working in the Hall of Great Council (now, Salone dei Cinquecento): Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo Buonarroti. They were called to celebrate two important Florentine victories, the Battle of Cascina for Michelangelo and the Battle of Anghiari for Leonardo. We do not know the extent to which Leonardo had painted, or if Giorgio Vasari - committed to transforming the hall fifty years later - has preserved what had survived.
Info & Booking
- Languagesâ??â??: Italian and English
- Target: adults and families with children over 8 years old
- Maximum number of participants: 30 people
- Hours: Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays at 14.30, 15.30, 16.30.
- Duration: 45 minutes
Cancellation policy:
For cancellations once a confirmation code assigned, and for no shows, we can refund cost of unused tickets minus service fee (presale and online booking fees).
Leonardo and the Battle of Anghiari
Palazzo Vecchio holds a very famous story within its walls. During the first years of the 16th century two great artists – Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo – are at work in the Sala del Maggior Consiglio, today known as the Salone dei Cinquecento or Hall of the Five Hundred. The two rivaling artists are asked to celebrate two important Florentine military successes: Michelangelo will paint the battle of Cascina, and Leonardo the battle of Anghiari.
We don\'t know what stage Leonardo’s painting was in at the time, nor whether Giorgio Vasari – involved in renovating the room fifty years later – preserved what was left of it. But Michelangelo’s preparatory draft and the incomplete work by Leonardo were definitely to become a reference model for all artists in the following years. Benvenuto Cellini writes “as they worked one next to the other, they were the school of the world.”