STVDIO

To produce one of the world's great masterpieces is impressive. To create three is truly astonishing. This is exactly what Michelangelo did 500 years ago.

With the David, he designed and created the world’s most famous sculpture. With the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, he produced the most awe-inspiring painting. And with the dome of St Peter's, he created one of the world’s greatest buildings: the jewel in the crown of the Roman skyline. More than 500 years later, these works have lost none of their awe-inspiring intricacy.

 This program brings to life the story of one of the most gifted, and tempestuous, artists in history. From a traumatic childhood, Michelangelo rose to the heady heights of artistic genius as sculptor, painter, architect and poet. His work is on such a scale, of such awesome power and breathtaking beauty, that for centuries people couldn't believe it was created by a mortal. Michelangelo's extraordinary life spanned almost 90 years from 1475 to 1564. He was a complex character: at times bad-tempered and paranoid, at others generous and affectionate. His passion for art, for beauty and for God was his driving force throughout his life.

In this two-part series, leading art historians debunk the many myths surrounding the artist's extraordinary life and modern-day artists attempt to recreate elements of Michelangelo's most iconic works - from tackling fresco technique through to carving a replica of the David.

This is combined with dramatic reconstructions of Michelangelo's life based on his actual words. Filmed in Rome and Florence, with Shakespearean actor Stephen Noonan playing the artist, the series explores how Michelangelo emerged as the true embodiment of the renaissance, allegedly divinely inspired.