BURCHARD
63
BURCHARD
for the rebuilding of the facade of the church of
San Lorenzo, which has been already mentioned,
ended in a bitter disappointment for Michelangelo.
He produced very rapidly a fine design for the
front and made the first preparations for the work.
After four years (in 1520) the contract was rescinded
without anything having been accomplished. How-
ever, the commission that Michelangelo received
from Giulio de' Medici, afterwards Clement VII,
for a mortuary chapel for the Medici family was
not revoked, and the chapel was completed in 1524.
It is a simple building surmounted by a dome.
Its only purpose is to hold the monuments. Michel-
angelo's design for the enlargement of San Giovanni
de' Fiorentini at Rome was never used. He also
produced designs for the Piazza of the Campidoglio
(Capitol) and the Porta Pia. It is a remarkable
fact that the citizens of Florence in 1529 appointed
him engineer-in-chief of the fortifications of the city.
Of more importance was his appointment as chief
architect for the reconstruction of St. Peter's by
Pope Paul III, after the death of Sangallo (1546).
He held this position seventeen years Michelangelo
carried out, with some changes, P.ramante's plans
for the new building and rejected those of San-
gallo. His own work is notably the magnificent
dome. He completed the drum, but not, however,
the upper dome. The clay model made by his
own hands is still to be seen at the Vatican.
Death brought to an end a life filled with fame and success, but also replete with suffering and sorrow; a life on which a great genius made demands which could not be satisfied. The ambitions of Michelangelo were insatiable, not so much owing to his desire for renown, as to his almost gigantic striving after the absolute ideal of art. For this reason Michelangelo's creations bear the stamp of his subjectivity and of his restless efforts to attain the loftiest ideals by new methods. He accomplished much that was extraordinary in three or four departments of art, but at the same time broke through many limitations prescribed by the laws of beauty in all arts, wilfully disregarding, at times, in his modelling of the human figure, even that fidelity to nature which he esteemed so highly. The way he pointed was dangerous, inasmuch as it led directly to extravagance, which, though per- haps endurable in Michelangelo, in his successors often substituted empty show for an ideal of lofty beauty. For a time Michelangelo obscured even the fame of Raphael; he swayed not only his own age, but succeeding generations.
Monographs by SuTHERLAND-GoWBB, Holyrod, Strtttt (London, 1903): Thode, Michelangelo unci das K rule der Renais- lance (1903, 1904); Holland, Michelange (1905).
G. GlETMANN.
Burchard of Basle (also of Hasenburg or Asif.i., from bis ancestral castle in 'Western Berne, Switzerland), Bishop of Basle in the eleventh cen- tury and a warm partisan of Henry IV (1056-1106). He belonged to the family of the counts of Neuen- burg, or Neuchatel, was l>. towards the middle of the eleventh century, and d. 12 April, 1107. Having en- tered the ecclesiastical state he was made Bishop of Basle (1072) by Henry IV; in recognition of this favour he was ever loyal to the king, and became one of his foremost advisers. In Henry's first difficulties with the Saxons (1073-75) Burchard rendered him all possible assistance. When the conflict between the king and Pope Gregory VII (1073-85) broke nut. Burchard was among the bishops who assembled at Worms (January, 1076), proclaimed the deposition of the pope, and wrote him an insulting letter. To- gether with Bishop Huzmann of Speyer he also went to Northern Italy for the purpose of inducing the Lombard bishops to take similar action with regard to the pope. In this he was successful; a synod was
assembled at Piacenza, and the Lombard bishops
renounced obedience to Gregory. For these rebellious
acts Burchard was excommunicated and deposed by
the pope in the Lenten synod of 1076; a similar sen-
tence was inflicted on other bishops and on Bur-
chard's royal master. King Henry obtained abso-
lution at Canossa in January, 1077; and Burchard,
who accompanied him on the penitential pilgrimage,
was reinstated in office.
During the civil war in 1077 and the following years, between Henry and his rival, Duke Rudolf of Suabia, raised to the throne by many princes, Burchard stood on the side of Henry, in whose interest he fought re- peatedly, both against Rudolf and his supporter, Berthold of Zahringen. In 107S Burchard and his friend suffered a crushing defeat , and he barely saved his life by precipitate flight. But the fortunes of war turned; Burchard and his partisans ravaged the country of Alemannia, or Suabia, the home of Rudolf and Berthold, and many cruelties were committed. Churches, sanctuaries, and perhaps monasteries as well were destroyed b}- the reckless and savage sol- diery. But it all helped the cause of Henry and weakened that of his rival, who was finally vanquished and killed in 1080. Burchard was rewarded for his services with grants of land from Henry. It is not certain that he was present in the synod held at Brixen (Tyrol) in June, 1080, where the partisans of Henry again deposed Gregory VII and elected in his stead Wibert, Archbishop of Ravenna. He was with Henry, however, when the schismatic king took possession of Rome, 21 March, 1084, and it may be taken for granted that he assisted at the installation of the antipope Clement III (10S4-1100) and at the imperial coronation of Henry, which events occurred on the 24th and 31st of March respectively. Shortly afterwards Burchard returned to Germany with his royal master.
Two synods were held there during the year 1085, in which Burchard, though not present, was directly concerned. The first, in the latter part of April, was held at Quedlinburg by the partisans of Gregory VII; it condemned all adversaries of the pope, including Bishop Burchard. Henry's faction held its synod at Mainz in the early part of May; Pope Gregory and all the bishops loyal to him were deposed. For the next twenty years Burchard was less active in the cause of Henry, but he remained to the end loyal to his king. When Henry was hard pressed in Italy by his son Conrad, in rebellion since 1093, and other enemies, Burchard was one of the very few bishops of Germany, who brought him any comfort. In 1095 he appeared at the king's court at Padua, and after Henry's return to Germany he paid several other visits to the royal court. How much Henry- counted on the loyalty of Burchard was made evident in a letter which the monarch wrote to the princes of the empire from Liege in the early part of the year 1106, shortly be- fore his death. Henry besought the princes to accord him sufficient time to consult with the princes and bishops about the matters relating to his abdication or reconciliation with his rebellious son Henry V (1106-25), and among the bishops faithful to him he mentioned the name of Burchard of Basle.
Burchard, however, did not always remain an un- compromising adversary of the popes. After the death of Gregory VII, particularly after the election
of 1'rban II (1088 99). his sentiments underwent a change. He sought a reconciliation with the Holy See; and in order to prove his interest in purely ecclesiastical and spiritual matters he l>ecame in- strumental in the erection of several mona.steries or other religious institutions. Among those founded by him may be mentioned ihe monastery of St. Alban in Basle, the chapterhouse of ( irandis VallLs to the south of Basle, and the monastery of St. John, erected partly by his brother and partly by himself
