La Centauromachia di Michelangelo e il sarcofago A 13 est. del Camposanto di Pisa

Michelangelo’s Centauromachia is strictly related with ancient art. The cultural background of his first years of activity has been studied by many scholars, who individuated some key-figures of his youth: one of them is Bertoldo di Giovanni. The strong link between Michelangelo’s Centauromachia and a bronze-relief executed by Bertoldo was established over a century ago. The relief of Bertoldo di Giovanni has its most direct model in a late-roman sarcophagus, which he had seen in Pisa. This paper aims to prove the existence of a direct iconographical link between three figures of the Centauromachia and three fighting figures of another late-roman sarcophagus in Pisa: the sarcophagus A 13 est.