Autobiography of Benvenuto Cellini Vol 1

Fascinating!

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I learned a lot about Cellini's art, since apparently little of it is available today. I liked hearing his descriptions of what he was working on and the various skills required. It explained how he must have had enemies who saw him as a threat because of his superior abilities in art, but he sometimes further angered his rivals by his response. (It seemed he was provoked by his rivals, first, to be fair). He, on the other hand said many good things about other's abilities and many admirable people both young and old that he knew or worked with. So he did not seem like a braggart to me. He was also a skilled musician, which is what his father wanted him to be. His illnesses, their treatment, his many life-threatening experiences with accidents and violent enemies against whom he had to defend himself, all made it seem miraculous that he survived to old age. His intense emotions made life difficult for him sometimes but suggested he was also well-liked by many who came to his aid. It was fascinating to me to hear about Michelangelo first hand from Cellini who describes an artists' party they both attended. He describes a lot of his interactions with Pope Clement, his patron, who at one point wanted to have him put to death. Then of course he describes the very un Christ-like leaders of the Church who during that time were quite materialistic and status obsessed, seeming to be totally lacking in spirituality and even evil, especially the next pope after Clement who threw Cellini in prison and wanted to have him murdered. I'm hoping there's a vol 2 that will continue the story. There's a fairly long verse section towards the end that I didn't pay much attention to, but I highly recommend the rest. Thank you to the generous and excellent volunteer readers.