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World Scholar

@WorldScholar_

Mar 6

Exactly 550 years ago, today, Michelangelo was born.

But he didn't just sculpt David and paint the Sistine Chapel — he's also responsible for some of Italy's most iconic architecture.

Rome and Florence wouldn't be as great as they are today without this man... 🧵

1. Sistine Chapel, Vatican City (1473)

The "Last Judgement" is arguably Michelangelo's greatest masterpiece.

But when he was first offered the opportunity to paint the chapel, he almost refused.

He was a sculptor, not a painter, after all...

From start to finish, the whole project took just 4 years to complete.

Though, Michelangelo didn't like his experience one bit: he even wrote a poem sharing his discomfort to his friend Giovanni:

“[My] spine’s all knotted from folding myself over.”

Read 17 tweets

World Scholar

@WorldScholar_

Feb 27

1,488 years ago, the Hagia Sophia made the impossible seem possible.

It was a masterpiece for its time, with a colossal dome unlike any other the world had ever seen.

Here's how it changed the ancient world forever... 🧵

In the heart of ancient Constantinople, stood the Hagia Sophia, originally built in 537 AD by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I

It was a masterpiece of architecture so great that visitors, "knew not whether they were in heaven or on earth."

Hagia Sophia would hold the title of the world's largest Church for almost a millennium.

Its scale was enormous. For comparison, it had the 2nd largest dome in the ancient world — only outdone by the Pantheon.

Read 19 tweets

World Scholar

@WorldScholar_

Feb 23

What does a rebirth of art, culture and architecture look like?

The Renaissance.

So here are 16 of the most awe-inspiring wonders of this cultural revolution... 🧵

1. St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City(1506)

If any building cemented Rome’s status as the home of Christianity, it was this.

The newer (and much grander) basilica replaced the original structure built by Constantine the Great in the 4th century.

2. Santa Maria Novella, Florence (1279)

One of the best examples of early Renaissance architecture, in Italy.

The marble facade was created by Alberti, who believed in the ideals of proportion and classically inspired detailing.

Here is a stunning view of the inside:

Read 18 tweets

World Scholar

@WorldScholar_

Feb 20

2,305 years ago, one building changed the Egyptian world forever.

When it was completed, it stood as the world's tallest man-made structure — second only to the Great Pyramid of Giza.

Here's everything you need to know about the Lighthouse of Alexandria... 🧵

First, with the city itself: Alexandria.

Founded by none other than Alexander the Great himself, in 331 BC.

The story goes that there was no chalk to draw the city plans so Alexander used grains of barely instead.

Some time later, a flock of birds ate the city plan work — but that was a good thing...

In the view of Alexander’s advisers, the city he was building would be plentiful in resources and would be able feed the whole world.

Read 17 tweets

World Scholar

@WorldScholar_

Feb 18

Its twice the size of the Parthenon — and made from a single piece of stone.

Everything you see here was carved entirely by hand, in just 18 years.

Here's everything you need to know about the greatest marvel of architectural that you've never heard of... 🧵

This is Kailasa Temple, in Maharasha, India.

And it may look like any ordinary ancient wonder, but this is the largest monolithic building in the world.

Meaning it was built in its entirety from just a single piece of rock...

And its dimensions are staggering…

It measures roughly 276 feet long, 154 feet wide, and rises to a height of over 100 feet.

Its true scale is unprecedented — to put this in perspective, it’s around twice the size of the Parthenon in Greece.

Read 19 tweets

World Scholar

@WorldScholar_

Feb 13

This is a real place — it's Palmanova, in Italy, built 432 years ago.

But why does it look like that?

Here's everything we know about "star" forts and how they completely replaced medieval castles... 🧵

For centuries, traditional medieval castles, with their towering walls were ideal for defending against an invading army.

But in the 15th century, there came a new problem in warfare — gunpowder.

But there also came a clever solution...

Castles now proved vulnerable to the destructive power of cannon fire.

This sparked the beginning of a new era in building forts and there was no better period than the Renaissance.

You had Michelangelo, who first used the idea of star forts in the groundworks of Florence.

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