Italy at the end of the fifteenth century was a place of extreme turbulence, betrayal, bloodshed and political upheaval. How and why did such unparalleled creativity flourish under these brutal conditions? This series explores the lives of three of the greatest artists in history – Michelangelo, Leonardo and Raphael – as they navigate a deadly snakes-and-ladders world of changing powerbrokers, violent warfare and intense personal rivalry.