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[06/10/25 - 09:38 AM]
"Renaissance: The Blood and the Beauty", Premieres Tuesdays, July 8-22, 2025 on PBS and Streaming on PBS.org and the PBS app
The three-part documentary series explores the extraordinary lives and rivalries of three towering figures of the Italian Renaissance - Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and Raphael - whose timeless masterpieces were forged amid brutal political power struggles, warfare, and religious upheaval.

[via press release from PBS]

RENAISSANCE: THE BLOOD AND THE BEAUTY, Premieres Tuesdays, July 8-22, 2025 on PBS and Streaming on PBS.org and the PBS app

New Three-Part Series from the BBC Explores How the Masterpieces of Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci and Raphael Emerged from an Era of Violence and Upheaval

ARLINGTON, VA; June 10, 2025 - Some of the greatest works of art in Western civilization were created during one of the bloodiest chapters in European history. RENAISSANCE: THE BLOOD AND THE BEAUTY, a new three-part documentary series, explores the extraordinary lives and rivalries of three towering figures of the Italian Renaissance - Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and Raphael - whose timeless masterpieces were forged amid brutal political power struggles, warfare, and religious upheaval. RENAISSANCE: THE BLOOD AND THE BEAUTY premieres Tuesdays, July 8-22, 9:00-10:00 p.m. ET (check local listings) on PBS, PBS.org and the PBS app.

Framed through the eyes of an aging Michelangelo, whose long life spanned this extraordinary period, the series traces more than sixty years, beginning with the Pazzi Conspiracy of 1478 and concluding with the unveiling of The Last Judgement in 1541. Through stunning visuals, compelling storytelling, and historical insight, the series reveals how these artists battled for favor, risked everything in service of their patrons, and reshaped the world's understanding of art and the artist.

RENAISSANCE: THE BLOOD AND THE BEAUTY is narrated by Sophie Okonedo. The series features Charles Dance as Michelangelo, Jonny Glynn as Leonardo Da Vinci and Joshua Duffy as Raphael.

Episode 1: "Rise" - Tuesday, July 8, 9:00-10:00 p.m. ET

Michelangelo and Leonardo struggle to win work in the brutal world of Renaissance Italy, navigating the shifting politics of powerful patrons and violent city-states. In Florence, young Michelangelo rises under the Medici's patronage while Leonardo builds his reputation in Milan. Political upheaval and changing attitudes disrupt their careers and set the stage for an artistic rivalry.

Episode 2: "Rivalry" - Tuesday, July 15, 9:00-10:00 p.m. ET

Florence becomes a hotbed of creative competition as Michelangelo and Leonardo return to the city and battle for artistic supremacy. When Michelangelo is awarded the commission for David, Leonardo seeks to outshine him with technical innovation, but the arrival of the young prodigy Raphael threatens both men. Their careers collide in Rome under Pope Julius II's patronage, igniting an epic artistic showdown.

Episode 3: "Redemption" -Tuesday, July 22, 9:00-10:00 p.m. ET

While Michelangelo paints the Sistine Chapel ceiling, Raphael ascends in the Pope's favor while working on his private apartments. But shortly after the completion of the Sistine ceiling, the Pope dies, and as the Protestant Reformation tears through Europe, art becomes a battleground for ideology and power. As the new Pope, Pope Leo X, seeks to reassert Catholic supremacy, Michelangelo is commissioned for a depiction of The Last Judgement, which will become both a political statement and a very personal expression of Michelangelo's own spiritual redemption.

RENAISSANCE: THE BLOOD AND THE BEAUTY will stream simultaneously with broadcast and be available on all station-branded PBS platforms, including PBS.org and the PBS app, available on iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Samsung Smart TV, Chromecast and VIZIO.

RENAISSANCE: THE BLOOD AND THE BEAUTY is made by BBC Studios Specialist Factual Productions for BBC Arts and PBS. The series is produced and directed by Emma Frank. The executive producer is Alexander Leith. The BBC Commissioning Editors for BBC Arts are Suzy Klein and Alistair Pegg. The Executive in Charge for PBS is Zara Frankel. BBC Studios is handling global distribution.

About PBS

PBS, with more than 330 member stations, offers all Americans the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and digital content. Each month, PBS reaches over 36 million adults on linear primetime television, more than 16 million users on PBS-owned streaming platforms, 53 million viewers on YouTube, and 60 million people view PBS content on social media, inviting them to experience the worlds of science, history, nature, and public affairs and to take front-row seats to world-class drama and performances. PBS's broad array of programs has been consistently honored by the industry's most coveted award competitions. Teachers of children from pre-K through 12th grade turn to PBS LearningMedia for digital content and services that help bring classroom lessons to life. As the number one educational media brand, PBS KIDS helps children 2-8 build critical skills, enabling them to find success in school and life. Delivered through member stations, PBS KIDS offers high-quality content on TV - including a PBS KIDS channel - and streaming free on pbskids.org and the PBS KIDS Video app, games on the PBS KIDS Games app, and in communities across America. More information about PBS is available at PBS.org, one of the leading dot-org websites on the internet, Facebook, Instagram, or through our apps for mobile and connected devices. Specific program information and updates for press are available at pbs.org/pressroom or by following PBS Communications on X.

- PBS -





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· RENAISSANCE: THE BLOOD AND THE BEAUTY (PBS)





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