Michelangelo Buonarroti (b. 1475 Caprese, d. 1564)

Michelangelo's Life

Michelangelo had an extremely long life, especially compared to his contemporaries; a fact which made him a principal figure of the Renaissance almost from beginning to end. Michelangelo was a witness (and, at times, a participant) in all the changes in Italian politics - from Lorenzo the Magnificent to the fall of the Medici, from the coming of the Reformation to the age of the Counter-Reformation, from the independent Italian Republics to the domination by other European states - and interpreted these events in his art. He was born in Caprese in 1475, where his father, Ludovico, had a six-month commission for the Republic of Florence. Michelangelo was just one month-old when his family moved back to Settignano, a village situated on the Florentine hills, just a few kilometers from the city. A few years later, when Michelangelo was six, his mother died; Michelangelo's father remarried, but the second wife died shortly afterwards.

The lack of motherly love made the relationship among Michelangelo, his brothers and father difficult; their life together was far from easy. His father was psychologically impulsive and politically imprudent: the combination caused Ludovico to go bankrupt and later obliged him to depend economically on Michelangelo, as soon as the latter became famous and well-paid. The role the artist played in his family was, as we can see from his letters, an important one both economically and for his capability to ease the conflicts within his family

.Michelangelo was very often away from home due to his engagements, but he remained attached to Florence, and indeed lived there for long periods at a time. He often had to rebuke his younger and brother, Giovan Simone, for the torments inflicted on their father, whereas he got on better with his brother Buonarroto. In fact he even "adopted" the latter's son Lionardo, who would eventually become his heir. Buonarroto died when Michelangelo was 53; his father died five years later, whereupon Michelangelo wrote a long poem expressing his contradictory love. After his father's death and after settling matters of inheritance, Michelangelo left Florence, but afterwards bought a house there. This house, in via Ghibellina, is now known as the Casa Buonarroti.

After Michelangelo's death in Rome, his nephew Lionardo stole his corpse and took it to Florence for burial in the Church of Santa Croce. A few months later, a solemn funeral took place in the Church of San Lorenzo where Benedetto Varchi gave a funeral oration.

Buonarroti, as he wished to be called, was a hard worker. Michelangelo had to support his family, he was also a careful administrator trusted few people and took care of business matters personally. Michelangelo himself used to choose the marble for his works in order to avoid dishonest suppliers and was thus often at the quarries of Carrara and Pietrasanta in Tuscany. The Marquis of Malaspina supplied him with Carrara marble for the Tomb of Julius II. Afterwards, the Pope ordered Michelangelo to use marble from the new quarries of Pietrasanta and Seravezza, controlled by Florence. In reply, the Carrarese bribed the workers at these quarries not to send their marble to Rome.

Michelangelo manoeuvred himself cleverly in this situation, but that he complained about the amount of work is attested by the letters concerning his most troubled project, the Tomb of Julius II. Indeed, even after decades of discussions and litigation, first with the Pope and later with his heirs, Michelangelo was unable to realize his original magnificent project.

Michelangelo never married and had no children. His relationship with women was troubled and we have little information about the people he loved. The only bond rich in spirituality and religiosity was with Vittoria Colonna, whom he met and frequented in Rome and with whom he kept up a correspondence after she left the city. During his middle years, he had a contradictory relationship with Tommaso Cavalieri, for whom he had a great love, though he was not always reciprocated.

It was not easy for Michelangelo to combine religious spirituality with homosexuality. The beautiful poems he wrote to Cavalieri, underling both his tormented love and his fear of divine judgement, exemplify his restless soul's suffering.Michelangelo did not experience only anguish, however. He took pleasure in being well-to-do, enjoyed Roman literary salons, relished Tuscan hillside taverns and delighted in night-life. He avoided political intrigue and prudently left Florence and Rome whenever danger arose.

During his life, Michelangelo was already famous and universally admired. He received commissions from seven Popes, as well as from Florence and Venice; contemporary critics considered him a great master. Vasari describes him as 'most divine' and Michelangelo was the only artist of the sixteenth century who had two biographies written during his life-time.

[ Michelangelo's Marble and Sculpture ]
[ Michelangelo's Painting ]