Audio only
Michelangelo, God's Architect
The Story of His Final Years and Greatest MasterpieceBy William E. WallaceNarrated by Simon CallowLength8h 44m
About this audiobook
In this audiobook, acclaimed actor Simon Callow narrates the gripping untold story of Michelangelo's final decades—and his transformation into one of the greatest architects of the Italian Renaissance
As he entered his seventies, the great Italian Renaissance artist Michelangelo despaired that his productive years were past. Anguished by the death of friends and discouraged by the loss of commissions to younger artists, this supreme painter and sculptor began carving his own tomb. It was at this unlikely moment that fate intervened to task Michelangelo with the most ambitious and daunting project of his long creative life.
Michelangelo, God's Architect is the first book to tell the full story of Michelangelo's final two decades, when the peerless artist refashioned himself into the master architect of St. Peter's Basilica and other major buildings. When the Pope handed Michelangelo control of the St. Peter's project in 1546, it was a study in architectural mismanagement, plagued by flawed design and faulty engineering. Assessing the situation with his uncompromising eye and razor-sharp intellect, Michelangelo overcame the furious resistance of Church officials to persuade the Pope that it was time to start over.
Leading Michelangelo expert William Wallace sheds new light on this least familiar part of Michelangelo's biography, revealing a creative genius who was also a skilled engineer and enterprising businessman. The challenge of building St. Peter's deepened Michelangelo's faith, Wallace shows. Fighting the intrigues of Church politics and his own declining health, Michelangelo became convinced that he was destined to build the largest and most magnificent church ever conceived. And he was determined to live long enough that no other architect could alter his design.
Audiobook details
GenreBiography and Memoir, Other
Length8 hrs 44 mins
Narrated bySimon Callow
FormatAudiobook
Publish dateOct 15, 2019
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Opening Anno, Dedication, Preface
7Chapter 5 - A New Pope: Julius III
2Introduction
8Chapter 6 - Rome 1555
3Chapter 1 - Moses
9Chapter 7 - Architect of Rome
4Chapter 2 - Friends at Seventy Matter More
10Chapter 8 - God's Architect
5Chapter 3 - A Long-Lived Pope
11Epilogue, Closing Anno
Show all chaptersShow less
6Chapter 4 - Architect of St. Peters
More from William E. Wallace
Left for DeadEbony Canion5h 34m$17
Invisible StormJason Kander6h 48m$24 · $0.00
Forever BoyKate Swenson9h 27m$29 · $0.00
You Are Worth ItKyle Carpenter, Don Yaeger8h 53m$29 · $0.00
Frederick Douglass: All 3 Memoirs in One VolumeFrederick Douglass42h 37m$1 · $0.00
The Happiest Man on EarthEddie Jaku3h 48m$7 · $0.00
MotherlandJulia Ioffe17h 52m$40 · $0.00
Evidence Not SeenDarlene Deibler Rose11h 11m$29 · $0.00
A Bridge Not Too FarDeepak Ohri4h 55m$15
Where Cowards Go to DieBenjamin Sledge8h 42m$20 · $0.00
Will You Love Me?Cathy Glass9h 5m$29 · $0.00
Designing Terry Pratchett’s DiscworldPaul Kidby3h 52m$20 · $0.00
HostageEli Sharabi5h 25m$24 · $0.00
A Narrative of Some of the Lord's Dealings With George Müller (The Complete Four-Volume Edition)George Müller43h 39m$2 · $0.00
Finding MeViola Davis9h 15m5 (1)$29 · $0.00
The Boys and MeMark Miller8h 32m$23
The Dangerous Truth about Today’s MarijuanaLaura Stack CSP, MBA9h 57m$20 · $0.00
Birdie & HarlowTaylor Wolfe7h 50m$26 · $0.00
The Lives of BrianBrian Johnson9h 45m$29 · $0.00
I Am The StormJanice Dean9h$8 · $0.00
The Book of Proverbs (2020 Edition)Brian Simmons4h 48m1 (1)$10 · $0.00
PAW Patrol - Volume 16Unknown Author57m$7
The Holy Bible - 1 SamuelKing James2h 13m$3 · $0.00
KJV Holy BibleBroadStreet Publishing Group LLC96h 16m$10 · $0.00
The American Standard Bible — The Gospel of MatthewMatthew3h 56m$2 · $0.00
Everyday Chanakya | Time Management S01E08Radhakrishnan Pillai42m$4
Bad Fat Black GirlSesali Bowen6h 32m$24 · $0.00
The King James Audio Bible New Testament CompleteChristopher Glyn20h 2m5 (1)$12 · $0.00
Faiths CheckbookCharles Spurgeon12h 44m$11 · $0.00
Be Wild Be FreeAmber Fossey26m$7 · $0.00
My Favorite Husband, Vol. 1Hollywood 360, CBS Radio5h 40m$14
Designing Terry Pratchett’s DiscworldPaul Kidby3h 52m$20 · $0.00
The Chosen Book OneAmanda Jenkins, Kristen Hendricks, Dallas Jenkins3h 8m$10 · $0.00
The Lives of BrianBrian Johnson9h 45m$29 · $0.00
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the HorseCharlie Mackesy58m$11 · $0.00
Expository Thoughts on the Gospel of LukeJ.C. Ryle27h 13m$18 · $0.00
CrossroadsKaleb Dahlgren7h 56m$26 · $0.00
Across the RiverKent Babb11h 40m$29 · $0.00
Brain Training for RidersAndrea Monsarrat Waldo5h 56m$19 · $0.00
My Effin' LifeGeddy Lee17h 11m5 (1)$40 · $0.00
You may also like
13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't DoAmy Morin6h 36m$7 · $0.00
Mars and Venus Starting OverJohn Gray3h 11m$18 · $0.00
The Glory of the ConqueredSusan Glaspell10h 26m$2 · $0.00
Learning to UnloveMarie Saldson5h 7m$6 · $0.00
The LiftAnthony Peters1h 39m$10 · $0.00
Thoughts on ReligionGeorge John Romanes4h 42m$2 · $0.00
The Art of LivingEpictetus, Sharon Lebell3h 16m$18 · $0.00
Breaking AddictionLance M. Dodes5h 53m$24 · $0.00
Mourning Has BrokenErin Davis9h 1m$29 · $0.00
Body Nirvana, TheGarima Gupta6h 34m$8
The Mindful DayLaurie J. Cameron8h 15m$20
Loving from the Outside In, Mourning from the Inside OutAlan Wolfelt1h 25m$10 · $0.00
Release Forgiveness!Reginald Rivers5h 37m$7 · $0.00
Prayers & Promises for Grief and LossBroadStreet Publishing Group LLC2h 9m$10 · $0.00
Tested: Reflections and conversations on leadership and resilience with Julia Gillard, Nedd Brockmann & Prof. Richard Scolyer, FINALIST at the Australian Business Book Awards 2025Pat Cummins7h 21m$24 · $0.00
Life on PurposeVictor J. Strecher5h 34m$24 · $0.00
Mindful BirthingNancy Bardacke15h 39m$33 · $0.00
Lament XVIJan Kochanowski (tłum. Dorothea Prall)2mFree
Meeting New PeopleDaniel M. Lavery7h 36m$29 · $0.00
Abandoned at BirthJanet Sherlund7h 13m$23