In the bustling Italian city-states of the early 1500s, art was not only beauty but power. Workshops competed fiercely for prestige, fueled by the rivalry of great masters like Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo Buonarroti. Artists labored tirelessly to create masterpieces—from sweeping frescoes to marble statues—each work a statement of skill and vision.

These creations were carried across courts and palaces, traveling the Italian peninsula to be exhibited in galleries and public spaces, where they dazzled the eyes of nobles and citizens alike. But art alone was not enough. Success depended on securing the favor of the wealthy and powerful. Through charm, reputation, and spectacle, workshops sought to influence Collectors, drawing them to their galleries and winning their lifelong support.

In Maestro Michelangelo and da Vinci’s workshops compete for fame and aristocratic attention in various courts and galleries across the Italian peninsula. During the game, the two workshops are either represented by a single player or a team of players.

Players take turns resolving their actions, creating Artworks, exhibiting their art across the northern provinces of the Italian peninsula, influencing the taste of the powerful Collectors and competing for publicity of the local elite. The workshop with the most victory points after 4 rounds becomes a winner and is declared the most iconic artist of the Renaissance!

—description from the publisher