Pope Julius dies within months of blessing the Sistine Chapel. Pope Leo X, Giovanni de' Medici, the first of the de' Medici Popes, succeeds him. Michelangelo is hoping for some peace so he can complete the tomb for Julius that the Duke of Urbino, administrator of Julius' will and the Pope's heir, is wanting completed.
The Pope encourages Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, and Michelangelo to become friends. Michelangelo responds that the three of them are very different men, but non-artists do not understand the differences.
The Pope does not understand some of the finer points of balancing a budget. He spends thousands for his favorite projects and there are rumors that he is bankrupting the Vatican. Michelangelo is vaguely aware that Pope Leo spends more than the Church earns, but pays little attention to the.....
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