Biagio Martinelli (

Cesena Cesena (; rgn, Cisêna) is a city and '' comune'' in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, served by Autostrada A14, and located near the Apennine Mountains, about from the Adriatic Sea. The total population is 97,137. History Cesena was ...

1463 –

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

1544), better known as Biagio da Cesena (meaning "from Cesena", his native city), was a 16th-century

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

priest and Vatican official who served as Papal Master of Ceremonies. He is widely known for his negative reaction to the nude figures presented in

Michelangelo Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (; 6 March 1475 – 18 February 1564), known as Michelangelo (), was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance. Born in the Republic of Florence, his work was ins ...

's fresco of '' The Last Judgment'' in the

Sistine Chapel The Sistine Chapel (; la, Sacellum Sixtinum; it, Cappella Sistina ) is a chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the pope in Vatican City. Originally known as the ''Cappella Magna'' ('Great Chapel'), the chapel takes its nam ...

. In 1518 Biagio became Papal Master of Ceremonies to Pope Leo X. He would also act in this role to Popes Adrian VI, Clement VII, and Paul III. In a story well known from the 16th century onwards, in a number of slightly different versions, Biagio is said to have complained about ''The Last Judgment'', saying "it was disgraceful that in so sacred a place there should have been depicted all those nude figures, exposing themselves so shamefully". Biagio went on to say that the painting was more suitable "for the public baths and taverns" than a papal chapel. In response, Michelangelo worked Biagio's face into the scene as

Minos In Greek mythology, Minos (; grc-gre, Μίνως, ) was a King of Crete, son of Zeus and Europa. Every nine years, he made King Aegeus pick seven young boys and seven young girls to be sent to Daedalus's creation, the labyrinth, to be eaten ...

, judge of the underworld (in the far bottom-right corner of the fresco) with donkey ears (indicating foolishness), while his nudity is covered by a coiled snake biting his penis. It was widely said that when Biagio complained to Pope Paul III, the pontiff joked that his jurisdiction did not extend to hell and the portrait would have to remain. The story is given in

Vasari Giorgio Vasari (, also , ; 30 July 1511 – 27 June 1574) was an Italian Renaissance Master, who worked as a painter, architect, engineer, writer, and historian, who is best known for his work ''The Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculpt ...

's ''

Lives of the Artists ''The Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects'' ( it, Le vite de' più eccellenti pittori, scultori, e architettori), often simply known as ''The Lives'' ( it, Le Vite), is a series of artist biographies written by 16th-ce ...

'', and expanded in his 2nd edition. But Vasari does not mention the Pope's response. This was first reported by

Lodovico Domenichi Lodovico Domenichi (1515–1564) was an Italian translator. Biography Lodovico Domenichi was born in Piacenza (Italy) in 1515. After studying Law at the University of Padua, he pursued a literary career. He lived in Piacenza, Venice and Florence ...

.Norman; in Domenichi's
Historia di detti et fatti notabili di diversi Principi & huommi privati moderni
', "Papa Paolo Terzo", (1556), pp. 698–699 (misnumbered by the printer as "668"; the numbering on the pages goes "... 697, 668, 699...) However, it was often added to Vasari's text in later editions of his book.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Biagio da Cesena 16th-century Italian Roman Catholic priests 1463 births 1544 deaths People from Cesena