CAMPIDOGLIO

In the early 1500's, Campidoglio, meaning "Capitol Building" , found on the lowest of the seven Roman Hills, Capitoline Hill, the civic and political heart of the ancient city, was in a forsaken condition. The hill's original importance as a sacred site, in years past, had been largely disregarded after its medieval transformation Although, Campodiglio, at the time, was the center of politics and power in Rome, as well as important ceremonies, Pope Farnese was embarrassed by the woeful appearance that Rome was taking on, and so, at the end of 1536, plans to transform the Capitoline Hill into a monumental civic plaza, took way. He wanted it to be exquisite for the reentry of Roman Emperor, Charles V, in order to offer him a triumphant procession of the kind fitting for a victorious general of ancient Rome. We could say that the Pope probably seized this opportunity to placate this natural enemy of Papal power. At the same time, Michelangelo, at the peak of his architectural career, was working on the world-renowned fresco of the "Last Judgment" in the Sistine Chapel, as well as being the chief architect of Saint Peter's Cathedral. Nonetheless, Pope Farnese called upon him to master the new plan of Campidoglio, who mastered this significant contribution to urban planning; the magnificent design of the new nucleus of Roman political life. The symmetry of the trapezoid shaped Piazza Campidoglio, with a line which goes from the Ancient steps, passes the statue of Marco Aurelio and finishes at the Bell tower of Palazzo Senatorio and is rivaled only by Piazza S. Pietro, built a century later by Bernini, inspired by Michelangelo's architectural work of art. Three buildings; Palazzo dei Conservatori, Palazzo Nuovo, and Palazzo Senatorio, form the architectural composition of Piazza del Campidoglio, with its distinctive trapezoid shape, originally designed by Michelangelo, where inside one can find the Capitoline Museums, established earlier in 1471, were created to safe keep excavated artifacts discovered in Rome and the surrounding area. Originally, Pope Sistus IV donated a collection of Bronzes and throughout the years that followed, donations by other Popes were made to enrich the museums collection. The double staircase, called the "Cordonata", and the new pedestal for the equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius (161-180), were the only things to have been finished by Michelangelo before his death in 1564, at the age of 89. Other elements of Michelangelo's master plan were followed and finally completed over a century later, in the 1700's. In 1981, the original statue was removed for restorations and brought to its new place inside the Capitolino Museum. The statue we see today is a replica of the original. Piazza Campidoglio is shaped in a way that, not only is it the arrival point but also the passageway from the Renaissance city to the ancient imperial capital and its importance continues to endure even today.

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