History tells that an intense dislike existed between Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci during the late Renaissance. But how did their animosity originate and was it always so? In 1501: Leonardo and Michelangelo in a Tale of Art, Love, and Betrayal, I tell what history might have left out; the unrecorded beginnings of the animosity between Leonardo and Michelangelo. Although I began the tale as a novella, the giant personalities of Leonardo, Michelangelo demanded to be released on stage to allow directors and audience their own interpretation of the missing history. Found drinking with Raphael at an inn while discussing their future work, the artists decide that their different artistic approaches and techniques cannot be settled through argument alone, and agree to pursue an outrageous experiment to determine whose ideas are the best. In the course of the experiment, Michelangelo breaks his vow to David and the bargain he made with Savonarola’s ghost. This allows Machiavelli to blackmail Leonardo for purposes of supporting Florence in the war against Louis XII. The play ends with Michelangelo, Leonardo and Raphael assuming their historic roles as everyone now knows them. The book will appeal to a public interested in a good story that is also informative. It will also be of interest to art historians and Renaissance students, as well as to theater goers. Through 1501, readers will gain a wider sense of Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Raphael’s potential relationships and an appreciation of the art they created.