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In Caprese, Tuscany
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Michelangelo was not a painter's apprentice; rather, he apprenticed to the master painter Domenico Ghirlandaio in Florence starting around 1488 at the age 13. Under Ghirlandaio, Michelangelo learned techniques like fresco painting and figure drawing before later focusing on sculpture under the patronage of Lorenzo de' Medici.
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Michelangelo's study of sculpture was a lifelong pursuit that combined his natural talent with intense research and a deep understanding of the human form. His key areas of study included classical antiquities, human anatomy, and the use of drawing as a fundamental tool. ( 1490-1492 )
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Michelangelo first moved to Rome in 1496 at the age 21 to establish himself as a sculptor. He was summoned to Rome after gaining notoriety for a sculpture incident, hoping to find new patrons in the "Eternal City". During this first stay, he sculpted the famous Pieta for St.Peter's Basilica, a masterpiece that secured his reputation as one of the era's most talented artists.
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Michelangelo is credited with creating several masterpieces, including the Pieta (sculpture, 1498-1499), the David (sculpture, 1501-1504), and the frescoes on the Sistine Chapel ceiling (paintings, 1508-1512), which famously features The Creation of Adam. Other major works include his architectural design of the Laurentian Library and serving as the architect for St.Peter's Basilica. (1498-1499)
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Michelangelo returned to Florence several times during his career, notably in 1501 to sculpt David and again in 1520 to work on the Medici Chapels before leaving Florence permanently in 1534 to live in Rome. After his death in Rome in 1564, his body was secretly brought back to Florence by his nephew and buried in the Church of Santa Croce, fulfilling his wish to be laid to rest in his family's tomb. (1501-1504)
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Michelangelo painted the famous Sistine Chapel ceiling between 1508 and 1512 as a series of frescoes depicting scenes from the Old Testament, primarily the Book of Genesis, under the commission of Pope Julius ll. Despite viewing himself as a sculptor and finding the work physically demanding, he completed the project, resulting in one of the greatest masterpieces of world art. which features scenes like "The Creation of Adam". (1508-1512)
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Michelangelo worked on all three project: the Tomb of Pope Julius ll ( a monumental, multi-figure tomb that became a lifelong ordeal for him), the Medici Chapel and it adjoining New Sacristy in Florence (for which he designed the architecture and sculpture of the tombs), and the Laurentian Library, also in Florence, for which he designed the extraordinary staircase and vestibule. (1513-1534)
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Michelangelo moved to Rome permanently in 1534 and lived there unit his death in 1564, spending the last three decades of his life working papal commissions like The Last Judgment in the Sistine Chapel and designing St. Peter's Basilica. This move to Rome in 1534 marked the final time he would leave his native Florence and signaled the start of a new, busy chapter focused on poetry and architecture.
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Michelangelo's fresco "The Last Judgement" (1536-1541) on the Sistine Chapel's altar wall shows christ's Second coming and the eternal fate of souls, with the blessed rising to heaven and the damned cast to hell. The dynamic scene features hundreds of figures-saints, angels, and demons-showcasing the artist's anatomical skill and emotional intensity in a complex work that also reflects the religious turbulence of its time. (1536-1541)
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Michelangelo was appointed Chief Architect of St. Peter's Basilica in 1546 by Pope Paul lll, taking over from Antonio da Sangallo. Despite his reservations and preference for sculpture, Michelangelo accepted the commission and spent the remaining seventeen years of his life on the project. His primary which became his most significant architectural achievement and is a prominent feature of Rome's skyline.
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Michelangelo died in Rome in 1564 but was buried in Florence. His body was temporarily entombed in Rome but was secretly smuggled ut by his nephew and other Florentines to be buried in the Basilica di Santa Croce in Florence, fulfilling the artist's and the Medici family's wishes.