Food - Drink
The Foods On Michelangelo's Illustrated Grocery List
By KATIE HORST
Art enthusiasts have long been mesmerized by the vivid detail Michelangelo put into each piece of artwork he created. And it's that attention to detail that also turns admirers' heads to a seemingly insignificant and barely legible scrap of paper displayed at the Florence museum Casa Buonarroti; Michelangelo's grocery list.
This small token of the past gives a glimpse into the everyday life of 15th and 16th-century Italian civilians. Beside each item on Michelangelo's list is a small caricature drawn by his hand, which he is believed to have done because his servant who shopped for him was illiterate.
Michelangelo's grocery list requests a herring, tortelli, two fennel soups, four anchovies, and a small quarter of a rough wine, with the backside having a date stamp of March 18, 1518. While the date suggests he was preparing a meatless list for lent, its ingredients are fit for nobles, whom Michelangelo was used to dining with.
Experts say that this list was intended to be enough for three separate meals, which explains why bread is listed multiple times but in different amounts. Although the list reveals some of Michelangelo's dining habits, it's unclear how he intended to combine these ingredients.