Interesting Facts about Michelangelo That Make You Wonder

24 Interesting Facts about Michelangelo That Make You Wonder

“Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni” is simply called Michelangelo- a renowned Italian sculptor, architect, painter, and poet.

Along with Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci, and Titian, Michelangelo is considered the model star of the Italian Renaissance, and each year, millions host to enjoy his work in Italy.

In his miraculous career, he shaped the David in Florence & Pieta in Rome and pictured the Sistine Chapel’s ceilings, and sketched the mound for St. Peter’s Basilica. He had an immense influence on the flourishing of Western art.

Let’s have a look below for more Interesting fact about Michelangelo.

Quick Facts about Michelangelo

Full Name: Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni
Nickname: Michelangelo
Born: March 6, 1475, (Caprese Michelangelo, Italy)
Died: February 18, 1564, (Rome, Italy)
Known For: Sculpture, painting, architecture, and poetry
– Source: WikiPedia

Interesting facts about Michelangelo to know you:

what is michelangelo known for?

Nickname:

In Michelangelo’s lifetime, he was often called The Divine One or Il Divino.

World-renowned person:

Yup, his sculpting & painting are marvelous, but his lesser recognized fact was that he was a creative writer also.

There are hundreds of poems and letters in his writing stock; over 300 among those still exist now. The poetry is quite suggestive, expressing lust, love, ecstasy, loyalty, spirituality, and the human soul.

Early life:

On March 6, 1475, Michelangelo was born in Florence in Italy.  His mother gave up on him only six years old. Among five boys in his family, Michelangelo was the second number.

weird facts about michelangelo

A forger:

Ok, at the starting point of his carrier, he probably made a copy of the earliest Roman shape named Sleeping Cupid and disguised it as an original in 1496.

 After finishing the forging, he hides the statue digging underground to wear its scratched look. Then, according to his patron (Lorenzo de Medici), at the suggestion of his own deal, he sold the piece of sculpture to Cardinal Riario in exchange for a large sum. But he wasn’t a regular counterfeiter.

Magnificent Sistine Chapel:

In Michelangelo’s rising period, Raphael was the famous painter in the city, and he was originally preferred for doing the Sistine Chapel.

But Here’s rivalry comes in. Out of jealousy, Raphael asked the Pope to grant Michelangelo instead of him. Raphael was optimistic that Michelangelo was not capable of painting like him. Unfortunately, he was totally depressed.

Presently over 25,000 travelers enjoy the chapel every day; Michelangelo gained the last laugh.

Sketched himself in the Sistine Chapel:

Michelangelo Sketched himself on the Pietà; his first masterpiece sculptural, and it was an unbelievable outcome for a young artist. Diagonally Across the chest of the Virgin Mary, he carved his name on a sash.

After that, he never penned any artwork.

He often loved to paint himself; his most popular self-portrait is “The Last Judgment fresco,” which makes up the whole wall of the Sistine Chapel.

fun facts about michelangelo

 The first person having an autobiography:

For his exciting personality, Italians loved Michelangelo. Usually, he was familiar with the Divine or “Il Divino.”

His fan wanted his life facts which led Michelangelo to print two full-length autobiographies during his life period.

His last wish:

In 1564, in Rome, Michelangelo died; According to his wishes, he was taken

 Secretly to Florence and buried at the Basilica of Santa Croce.

Ordinary lifestyle:

Michelangelo leads an Ordinary lifestyle in his old age, hardly in contact with others without while his work made any contact about. Thus, despite being rich, he resided in squalor.

Marital life:

Michelangelo spent his life without marrying and having no children, although he wrote emotional love poetry. He was alleged to have had love affairs with the poet Vittoria Colonna & Tommaso Dei Cavalieri. Vittoria Colonna & Michelangelo wrote sonnets to each other

Participating in the army:

Michelangelo enjoyed a break from art From 1527-1529 & participated in the defense of the Republic of Florence.  He contributed as an engineer building fortifications to save the town.

important facts about michelangelo

Nature of Michelangelo:

Michelangelo was a very critical, sharp, & volatile temperament but sometimes dissatisfied with his work. At the end time his life, he ruined so many sketches.

In his teens, he lived and studied in Lorenzo de Medici’s home. Soon Michelangelo owned popular for his strong hand with the paintbrush & and chisel.

That’s why he had to face the envy of all his classmates particularly—Pietro Torrigiano—who was greatly jealous of his talent, in consequence, Michelangelo’s keen tongue hit him in the nose, and it made a permanent crooked. Subsequently, Torrigiano enjoyed that Michelangelo will bear the mark along in the grave.

Swiss Guard-funny costumes:

People usually believed that the uniform of the Pontifical Swiss Guard was designed by Michelangelo.

Steve Jobs bathe idol:

Like Steve Jobs, Michelangelo hated bathing; when he died, his clothes had to be disrobed from his body as he’d been putting on for an extended period. The legend says he did so possibly he hated changing or washing his clothes.

Continue working until dying:

Michelangelo’s life span exits almost 89 years. However, even after getting too feeble, he continued his work regularly. He belongs to a penny pincher & property worth 50,000 florins, almost $35 million in present money.

Artwork without his sign:

Michelangelo had a unique character; he didn’t love to put his signature on his artworks except “the Pietà.” He did so only to make people believe that he made this masterpiece sculptural.

Leonardo da Vinci vs. Michelangelo:

Leonardo da Vinci & Michelangelo never like each other,” this secret said their biographer Vasari. Leonardo da Vinci &Michelangelo stood out with mighty & and strong personalities with two opposed mentalities towards art.

Whenever the situation met them face-to-face, both of them had fierce independence set of conflict.

Lived longer:

In 1557, because of the invasion by Spain, Michelangelo was impelled to leave Rome. Before he dies, he spent many years traveling in his adult years. After the Spanish threat had closed, he came back to Rome.

At 89, Michelangelo died; he had a long life expectancy of his era.

Nine catholic popes:

In his working life, Michelangelo’s handled nine Catholic pontiffs. “Julius II” was his first work and finished with Pius IV. “The Sistine chapel” was not his only outstanding work; all types of stuff, such as attractive knobs for the papal bed.

Applied Inferior marble to sculpt David:

Most commonly famous sculptors use great marble for sculpting, but Michelangelo was the opposite. His famous statue “David “was sculpted from an ‘unworkable ‘or rejected block.

Victims of vandalism:

“Laszlo Toth,” a mentally sick geologist, made an invasion to the Pietà and resulting in conked Madonna’s forearm & nose also other parts of her veil & eyelid; in 1972.

To display again, the sculpture took 10 months to complete the restoration process. In 1991 in the same incident, David’s foot part was cut off.

what is michelangelo famous for?

Famous work:

A few of Michelangelo’s famous works of his time include ‘Battle of the Centaurs’ ‘Madonna of the Steps,’ and, ‘The Crucifix'(the wooden sculpture); he offered to a church.

 “Protect” St. Peter’s Basilica:

At the age of 74 years old, The Catholic Church requested Michelangelo to help them; basically begging him; for the outwardly continued work on St. Peter’s Basilica.

Unfortunately, the building wasn’t completed even after his death, but he tried his best for more than 14 years until he died.

While he got feeble, he started to oversee the work from home by regularly sending design drawings and helping the foremen. Finally, with the touch of a grate, Michelangelo’s St. Peter’s got a majestic dome, and a skyline was built; pilgrims still come to enjoy it worldwide.

His last sculpture was the “Rondanini Pieta”

Miselangelo, was an artist with a different type of mental enthusiasm. He continued sculpturing until the last breath of his life.

Before feeling his illness, he supervised the construction job regularly of St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. Moreover, he guided the work labor by sending drawing designs while he fought against his illness.

Along the supervision of St. Peter’s Basilica’s construction work, he was continuing a sculpture named “Rondanini Pieta”. This is the last sculpture of this Great Artist named “Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni”.

At the age of 88, on 18th February 1564 Michelangelo, the Italian painter, Architect closes his eyes for good.

Finally, we hope you’ve enjoyed all the Interesting facts about Michelangelo. If you sense more about Michelangelo’s interesting facts let us know by sharing with us.

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