description Michelangelo Buonarroti Overview
Michelangelo Buonarroti was an Italian Renaissance sculptor, painter, architect, and poet whose work included the marble David, the Pietà in St. Peter's Basilica, and the ceiling and Last Judgment of the Sistine Chapel. He became chief architect of St. Peter's Basilica in 1546 and reshaped the building's plan around a strongly unified central design.
The dome was completed after his death with modifications based substantially on his architectural conception.
help Michelangelo Buonarroti FAQ
Did Michelangelo design the whole of St Peter's Basilica?
No, construction had already passed through plans by architects including Donato Bramante and Antonio da Sangallo the Younger. Michelangelo became chief architect in 1546 and simplified the design around a powerful centralized structure.
Was the dome of St Peter's completed during Michelangelo's lifetime?
No, Michelangelo died in 1564 before the dome was finished. Giacomo della Porta and Domenico Fontana completed it around 1590 while retaining the essential form of Michelangelo's design.
Which other buildings did Michelangelo design in Rome?
His Roman architectural work includes the redesign of the Capitoline Hill and contributions to the Palazzo Farnese. He also transformed part of the Baths of Diocletian into the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli.
How did Michelangelo's architecture relate to his sculpture?
He treated walls, columns, stairways, and façades as forceful three-dimensional masses rather than flat decoration. The Laurentian Library vestibule in Florence is a clear example, especially its monumental staircase and deliberately unconventional columns.
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