How a Lawyer Saved Michelangelo’s Dome

The year is 1742, and the legendary dome atop St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome— designed by artist and architect Michelangelo—is threatened with collapse. Its fate lies in the hands of an attorney, of all people, who also happens to be the remarkable Pope Benedict XIV. Come join us for a fascinating discussion with structural engineer Wayne Kalayjian, author of Saving Michelangelo’s Dome, about how Benedict used his legal training to resolve a heated controversy in art and science. His leadership charted untraveled water, saved the dome, and created the profession of engineering as we practice it today.

It is a story of the Italian Renaissance, the Scientific Revolution, and the Enlightenment in Europe, and features titanic personalities like Michelangelo, Galileo, and Isaac Newton. And THE STORY’S HERO IS A LAWYER!