Caprese Michelangelo @ Birthplace of one of the greatest Italian artists
Caprese Michelangelo stands on a hill of the Alpe di Catenaia, that dominates the Sigerna valley. A series of archaeological finds testify that, like most of Tuscany, the area around Caprese Michelangelo was already inhabited in Etruscan and Roman times. Totila, the king of Goths, may have died in Caprese castle in 552.
Caprese Michelangelo had been ruled by the counts Ranieri of Galbino, then by the counts Guidi of Romena and the by the Tarlati family before voluntarily submitting to the Florentine Republic in 1384. In 1386, it became the tenure of the podestà. One of the podestà was Michelangelo Buonarroti’s father. The famous artist was born in Caprese on March 6th, 1475. In 1913 a Royal Decree added the name of Michelangelo to the original name of the town, in honour of the famous artist.
In 1737 Caprese Michelangelo passed in the hands of the Habsburg-Lorraines. Apart a brief interval (1799-1814) of French domination, the Habsburg-Lorraines ruled Caprese Michelangelo until 1860, when the Grand Duchy of Tuscany was annexed to the Kingdom of Italy.
Caprese Michelangelo - Michelangelo`s house
In the 14th-century
castle - Caprese Michelangelo’s town hall – the copies of Michelangelo’s sculptures and some works by contemporary artists are on display. Opposite the castle there is the
house of the podestà. The house where Michelangelo was born dates back to the 14th century; its façade is decorated with some coats of arms. Today, it houses the museum dedicated to the great artist, where copies and photos of Michelangelo’s most important works are on display.
Under the walls of the castle there is the
church of San Giovanni Battista, where Michelangelo was baptised. The humble building dates back to the 12th century and houses a 15th-century tabernacle by Cristofano di Laducci.
