Caprese is a medieval castle located between the Tiber and Arno rivers, perched atop a rocky spur. Since 1385, it has been part of the territory that was first Florentine and then Tuscan.
In the government palace overlooking the castle square, in the rooms reserved for the residence of the Podestà, on March 6, 1475, a baby boy was born, who was baptized two days later with the name of Michelangelo. His father was named Ludovico Buonarroti and his mother Francesca Del Sera.
Ludovico had indeed been sent to the castle of Caprese with the title of “Podestà of Caprese and Chiusi,” as evidenced by the letter of “obedience,” with a six-month assignment that began on September 30, 1474, and ended in the last days of March 1475. As was customary, he had brought his family with him.
The birth of that son just before the return trip to Florence must have reassured Ludovico considerably, considering that his wife Francesca had fallen from her horse during the journey there in the third month of her pregnancy, presumably on September 29, the day of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael.
Thus, the name chosen by the young couple: Michelangelo, certainly a dedication of grace received.
The baptism of little Michelangelo Buonarroti, son of the most prominent figure in the community, was surely a happy moment, attended as witnesses by all the most important representatives of the Caprese community, who had already had the opportunity to know Ludovico and perhaps, who knows, become acquainted with him.
The castles overlooking the Tiber Valley in Tuscany have a special relationship with the history of art. It is here that Piero della Francesca, the first theorist of the Renaissance, was born and worked, creating in Monterchi the icon of the expectant woman: the Madonna del Parto. Michelangelo Buonarroti is born here, who will bring the forms of the early Renaissance to their most cultured expression.
Beginning and end, alpha and omega, enclosed in places blessed by the flow of a young Tiber.
Whether it is coincidence or providence, we leave it to you readers to decide.
The Castle of Caprese was “rediscovered” as the birthplace of Michelangelo in the mid-19th century, and from that moment the ruins of the ancient fortress became a destination for a journey to discover the history of Italy, but above all the history of Tuscany. In fact, it is precisely the political management of the territories at that time subjected to Florence that allowed the dissemination of the city’s history into the countryside and up to its borders.
Caprese, although a remote place, enjoyed (and enjoys) the proximity to the sources of the Tiber, the closeness to Casentino (and thus the Arno river), and the adjacency to Chiusi and therefore to the Franciscan Sanctuary of La Verna. All these places together must have (and have) a significant symbolic charge.
But let us come to the present day.
After about a year of work, the Birthplace Museum of Michelangelo Buonarroti within the Castle of Caprese has a new look and is filled with new content. In addition to the commitment of the municipal administration, the scientific collaboration of Casa Buonarroti in Florence, the passion of Prof. Antonio Acquisti, and the research of other important scholars, there are many new developments regarding the events related to Michelangelo’s birth, insights that allow us to perceive the birth on March 6, 1475, in a new light.
The guiding principles that led me in the museographic curation are mainly three: respect for the environments and their historical value; the enhancement of the museum’s collection of objects (which is truly remarkable); and finally, a measured use of digital technology.
The result is that, finally, the three buildings open to the public within the Castle of Caprese each have a different characteristic, aligned with their historical role. The centrality of the building of the podesteria of Caprese is evident, and here the greatest efforts have been concentrated for the transformation of the spaces. Now, it houses the narrative of the history of the castle and its relationships with the surrounding territories, along with information about the Florentine government. The podesteria once again fulfills its function of representation towards the community of Caprese and its guests, making it the focal point of the story, and the permanent answer to the recurring question: <<why was Michelangelo born in Caprese?>> Now the Castle responds!
