The E-Sylum:  Volume 5, Number 49, December 8, 2002, Article 11

MICHELANGELO'S DUCATS

  A new book by Rab Hatfield titled "The Wealth of
  Michelangelo" mentions a hoard of coins owned by the
  legendary artist.  Estelle Shirbon of Reuters interviewed
  Hatfield in a December 3, 2002 article.

  "Michelangelo, who painted the ceiling of the Vatican's
  Sistine Chapel and designed the dome of St Peter's
  Basilica, passed himself off as poor but was actually too
  miserly to show his huge wealth, a U.S. art historian says."

  "He was a funny sort of man, somewhat paranoid and
  somewhat dishonest, who didn't want it to be known he
  was fabulously rich," Rab Hatfield, a professor at the
   Florence branch of Syracuse University, told Reuters
  Monday."

  "Hatfield has unearthed two of Michelangelo's bank
  accounts and numerous deeds of purchase that show the
  prolific painter, sculptor and architect was worth about
  50,000 gold ducats when he died in 1564, more than
  many princes and dukes of his time."

  "It was an enormous, truly enormous amount of money,"
  said Hatfield..."

  "He liked to keep large amounts of money in a wooden box
  by his bed. When he died, 8,400 ducats were found in the
  box," Hatfield said.

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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