The music here is probably the best out of the three floors.
Printing Press Block - Mainz, 1455
When young Johann Gutenberg was growing up in Germany at the turn of the 15th century, books were very rare and expensive because a scribe had to duplicate each copy by hand. Since Johann was a child of great curiosity who loved to read, he dreamed of a faster, easier way to make books. Luckily, Johann had inherited a large fortune. This allowed him to dedicate all his time to the invention that would soon change the world. The secret, he realized, was in finding a way to print words, so copies would be quick and effortless.
Gutenberg first tried carving letters from wood, but the printing came out crooked and blurry. He continued to experiment, spending all of his father's money during the 30 years it took to perfect the printing press. The final press, made with movable metal type, worked perfectly. His childhood dream realized at last, Johann printed his first books in 1455. They are known today as Gutenburg Bibles.
Astrolabe - The Pacific, 1521
The importance of perseverance has few better examples than Ferdinand Magellan. When Columbus reached America in 1492, he thought he had found a western shortcut to India. By 1519, when Magellan's five ships sailed west to find the Spice Islands, explorers suspected that the Americas were a vast new region unconnected to Asia. After a year of exploring the eastern coast of the "New World" for a way west, Magellan entered the rough seas between "Tierra Del Fuego" and the tip of South America.
After 39 days of struggle, Magellan entered the vast Pacific Ocean. Sailing west, his crew endured malnutrition and scurvy until they reached the Phillipines. There, Magellan was the victim of hostile natives, but Juan Sebastian Del Cano pressed on. "Victoria," the sole remaining ship, rounded the cape of Africa and returned to Spain. Thus, Magellan's expedition became the first to sail around the globe. In so doing, it demonstrated the true scale of the oceans and proved that the Americas were indeed a new world.
Chisel - Florence, 1503
Michaelangelo Buonarroti, one of Italy's most impressive artists, was born in Caprese, Italy, on March 6, 1475. Raised by a family of stonecutters, at the age of thirteen he was apprenticed to learn the basics of paintings at the Ghirlandaio brothers' studio. Michaelangelo, however, considered himself a sculptor, and he broke his contract so that he might study in the sculpture gardens of the great patron Lorenzo de' Medici.
Indeed, Michelangelo's fame as a sculptor is unmatched. His remarkable "Pieta" was carved when he was only 23. Shortly thereafter, his 13 1/2 foot "David" was wrought from a single block of marble. When commissioned to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, though, Michelangelo implored Pope Julius II that the painter Raphael could do better. Michelangelo was given the job anyway, and ironically, the result was his true masterpiece. Five hundred years after this accomplishment, Michelangelo's influence as a painter, architect, and sculptor is still felt.
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