Michelangelo was born in 1475 in Italy and showed an early talent for sculpture and art. He was taken in by the powerful Medici family and patron of the arts, Lorenzo de' Medici, who treated Michelangelo like a son and gave him opportunities to learn and create great works of art. Some of Michelangelo's most famous works include the Pieta and the painting of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome, where he spent much of his career producing masterworks and serving as a renowned artist for the Vatican. Michelangelo worked tirelessly as an artist for most of his long life until his death in 1564 at the age of 88.

1. MICHELANGELO

2. Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni was born on March 6, 1475. Michelangelo's father was the mayor of his town (Caprese). He had four brothers, he was the second eldest. Michelangelo went to school in Florence, although he was fascinated by art only. When he was 13 years old he was sent to Ghirlando brothers (that were well known painters in Florence) however, the brothers were not very good teachers, because they wouldn’t share their knowledge with him, as Michelangelo did. One day when Michelangelo should have been studying, he instead went to the gardens of the Monastery of San Marco, where he admired the Greek and Roman sculptures. Michelangelo went secretly to work for Bertoldo, the hired sculptor of Lorenzo. One day whilst Michelangelo was making one of his sculptures, Lorenzo saw him, and engaged Michelangelo to live in his palace and become a sculptor for him. Michelangelo's early life

3. Michelangelo started working for the Medici, this was an incredible honor, and his father and brothers were very happy for him. Lorenzo treated Michelangelo like a son. This made another sculptor who lived at the palace, Pietro Torrigiano, very jealous. He was so jealous of the attention of Lorenzo, paid to Michelangelo, that he picked a fight with Michelangelo and broke his nose; because of this, Pietro was exiled. Michelangelo worked very hard to learn everything he could about sculpting. Lorenzo gave him all the time and materials he need to practice his art. In 1492, Lorenzo died. Michelangelo grieved for his friend. After the death of Lorenzo, everything changed in Florence. There was a new ruler, who frightened the people. Michelangelo decided to leave and go to Rome. The start of his career

4. In 1496 Michelangelo arrived in Rome for the first time. He was asked to make a sculpture of the Roman god of wine “Bacchus” in marble. He spent the next two years carving this, his first large-scale sculpture. Next Michelangelo was asked to carve the “Pieta” in 1498, it took him two years, finishing it when he was 25 years old. The “Pieta” still stands in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Michelangelo in Rome Back in Florence In 1501, at the age of 26, Michelangelo returned to Florence. He was considered one of the greatest artists of his time. He was given a 18 foot block of marble and he began to make one of the finest sculptures the world has ever seen: The David.

5. Back in Rome In 1505, Michelangelo returned to Rome, he was asked to build a tomb for Pope Julius II, which he never completed, because before he could complete it, Pope Julius II changed his mind. Michelangelo returned to Florence, feeling angry at the Pope, but in two months, the Pope summoned him back to Rome. He ordered Michelangelo to begin painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo worked on the ceiling of the Siistine Chapel from 1508-1512, it was an incredible worked that astonished even other painters, like Raphael. Michelangelo was tired after he finished the ceiling of the Sistine chapel, and so, he returned to Florence. He became involved in politics as well as art. In 1534 Pope Paul III asked Michelangelo to start work on the huge wall entrance of the Sistine chapel. The work took him another five years.

6. Michelangelo in the next 30 years carried on working on the sistine chapel. The historian Vasari visited him when Michelangelo was 88 years old. He was a sad figure, hardly able to sleep. He worked by night and by day. He ate and drank very little,. When death came it may have finally given him peace and rest. The end of his life