Michelangelo (1475-1564)
Michelangelo was born in Caprese near Florence in 1475 and died in Rome in 1564. Michelangelo Buonarroti was a sculptor, poet and a painter before he established himself as an architect. Although he was a renaissance artist he signed also the beginnings of the Baroque with his sculptural details. For him, the visual effect was more important than the designs´ structural logic. He always subordinated invention to the needs of overall composition, which to Michelangelo was analogous with the symmetry and articulation of the human body. Michelangelo was a fountainhead of inspiration for the post-Renaissance architecture and also one of the key innovators of the 16th century. He rejected the rules of the classical design and found an innovative way for architectural composition.
Important Buildings
- St. Peter's Basilica, Rome
- Cordonata Capitolina, Rome
- Piazza del Campidoglio, Rome
- Palazzo Farnese, Rome
- The new Medici Chapel, New Sacristy,
- Basilica di San Lorenzo di Firenze, Florence
- Staircase to the Laurentian Library,
- Basilica di San Lorenzo di Firenze, Florence
- Plan for the facade of Basilica di San Lorenzo di Firenze, Florence
