| Few men have lived life as full as late
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| | finished the Sistine Chapel ceiling, his
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| Italian Renaissance mannerist artist,
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| | genius never returned to its previous
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| Benvenuto Cellini. Born in 1500, Cellini
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| | level in later life. Looking at the
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| would be thrilled that we still talk
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| | sketch Torrigiano told Cellini the story
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| about his life five hundred years after
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| | of how he had broken the nose of
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| his birth. After all, that is what he
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| | Michelangelo as a boy. Cellini already
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| intended. That is why he began his
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| | idolized Michelangelo by this time and
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| autobiography at the age of fifty-eight,
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| | disliked Torrigiano thereafter, but it is
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| confident that history would remember
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| | from the autobiography of Cellini that we
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| him. And remember him we do, not only as
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| | know this story.
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| a master goldsmith and sculptor, but as
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| | The exploits of Cellini are too numerous
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| an author who wrote one of the most
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| | to relate. If the papal and civil
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| significant documents of the sixteenth
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| | authorities who encountered the arrogant
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| century.
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| | and explosive artist kept rap sheets,
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| Cellini began his riveting tale by
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| | Cellini would have a long one. He finally
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| advising other potential authors on how
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| | made it to Rome, where he engaged in an
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| to write their own autobiographies, first
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| | altercation with a young man whom he
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| by informing their readers that they come
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| | struck. The punishment being less
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| from worthy stock and ancient origin.
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| | stringent for delivering a slap rather
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| While most of us cannot claim to know our
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| | than a blow, Cellini told the magistrates
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| maternal grandparents twice removed,
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| | he only gave a slap, however, he was the
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| Cellini mentioned his parents, then went
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| | only one punished and ordered to pay a
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| on to claim descent from an Italian man
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| | fine.
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| from a nearby town, Fioreno of Cellino, a
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| | Angered by this turn of events, Cellini
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| captain in the guard of Julius Caesar
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| | went that night to the home of his
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| sixteen hundred years past.
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| | tormentor where he stabbed him with a
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| This Fioreno, Cellini claimed, camped his
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| | knife. Fleeing the scene, he encountered
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| troops on the site of Florence with its
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| | twelve family members of the young man
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| fields of flowers, so Caesar named the
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| | who, according to Cellini, set upon him
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| place Florence partly for the flowers and
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| | with an iron shovel, an iron pipe, an
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| partly to honor his captain. Most
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| | anvil, hammers and cudgels. A mighty
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| historians believe Florence, Florentia in
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| | battle ensued with Cellini wielding his
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| Roman times, was named after the Roman
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| | knife, and afterward, the twelve searched
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| festival of Floralia or Ludi Florales to
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| | among their dead and wounded only to find
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| honor Flora, the goddess of flowers.
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| | that, strangely, there were no dead and
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| However, neither Caesar nor Flora was
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| | wounded. No one sustained any injuries
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| present to contradict the account of
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| | except for the first man Cellini stabbed
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| Cellini, so his version stands, at least
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| | in the house. After such a story, it is
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| in his own mind.
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| | not surprising then that Cellini claimed
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| Commenting further on how pleased God was
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| | credit for his single-handed defense of
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| at his birth, Cellini told how he got his
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| | Castle of San Angelo during the sack of
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| name--Benvenuto means welcome in
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| | Rome in 1526 as though no other defenders
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| Italian. While the musical name Benvenuto
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| | were needed.
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| Cellini flows off the tongue with a
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| | Kings, dukes, and popes sought out
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| satisfying feeling, Cellini rejected the
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| | Cellini for his exquisite craftsmanship,
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| career advice of his father that he
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| | while villains, thieves, and necromancers
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| become a great musician and composer.
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| | knew him for far less noble purposes. The
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| Unmindful that his flute playing sent his
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| | colorful exploits of Cellini chronicle
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| doting father into sighing, tearful
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| | the flavor of Italian Renaissance life
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| ecstasy, Cellini forsook the hated flute
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| | with his unique perspective. If his
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| to study as a goldsmith--and thus his
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| | account is true, it is surprising that
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| adventures began.
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| | Cellini had time for art. He died in
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| Angered by his father at the age of
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| | Florence in 1571 at the age of 71 leaving
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| sixteen Cellini left Florence for Rome,
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| | behind a magnificent legacy of work.
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| stopping by way of Lucca and Pisa. In
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| | Still in the news, Cellini's grandiose
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| Pisa he found a goldsmith willing to take
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| | gold and enamel saltcellar executed in
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| him in as an apprentice. Returning to
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| | 1540 for the King of France and valued
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| Florence for a brief visit, he met
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| | today at $60,000,000 was recovered
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| Italian sculptor, Piero Torrigiano.
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| | recently after being stolen from a museum
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| Showing a sketch he had drawn from
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| | in Vienna. The art world continues to
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| copying the work of Michelangelo for the
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| | appreciate the work of Cellini, even if
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| Florentine Signoria (The Battle of
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| | he does tell us himself of his greatness.
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| Cascina), he confided to Torrigiano that
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| | No one blows his own horn louder than
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| while the divine Michel Agnolo [sic]
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| | Benvenuto Cellini.
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