Archangel Michael Statues – Timeline and Meanings
Six Archangel Michael statues of Castel Sant'Angelo: wood, stone, marble-bronze hybrids, bronze melted for cannon, Montelupo’s survivor, and Verschaffelt’s 1753 bronze.
Legend meets logistics: the 590 plague vision justified a new protective name, while centuries of politics and weather re-shaped the angel’s form.
Timeline at a Glance
| # | Period | Material | Fate | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Early medieval | Wood | Weathered away | Earliest sanctifying marker |
| 2 | 14th c. | Stone | Destroyed in 1378 unrest | Schism protest turbulence |
| 3 | Early modern | Marble body, bronze wings | Blown off by wind | Iconic but vulnerable hybrid |
| 4 | 1527 era | Bronze | Melted into cannon balls | City under siege, metal repurposed |
| 5 | 1536 | Marble with bronze wings (Montelupo) | Replaced in 1753; now courtyard | Michelangelo’s apprentice |
| 6 | 1753 | Bronze (Verschaffelt) | Current | Sheathing the sword—mercy after wrath |
Reading the Gesture
Sword sheathing reads as mercy granted; atop a fortress, it blends martial imagery with divine restraint.
Where to See Montelupo’s Angel
In the castle courtyard—compare scale, material weathering, and different emotive weight.
Bottom Line
The angels tell a history of materials, crises, and evolving theology—look up, and time condenses into a single gesture.
Forfatter
Telmo Rolando
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