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Michelangelo's full name -

Michelangelo's full name was Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni. He was born on March 6, 1475, in Caprese, Republic of Florence.

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Attacked by a rival -

While living and studying in the home of Lorenzo de' Medici, then one of the most important art patrons in all of Europe, Michelangelo found himself embroiled in a disagreement with a jealous rival, Pietro Torrigiano (pictured). In the ensuing fisticuffs, Torrigiano struck Michelangelo in the face, breaking his nose and leaving him permanently disfigured.

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He found fame through fraud -

It was Cardinal Raffaele Riario (pictured) who gave Michelangelo his big break—by default! Riario acquired a sleeping cupid figure that had been treated by Michelangelo with acidic earth to make it appear ancient. Riario got wise to the ruse, but was so impressed by the young fraudster's skill that he invited him to Rome.

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Sign of the times -

'Pietà,' or 'Our Lady of Pity,' is the only work Michelangelo ever signed. A key work of Italian Renaissance sculpture, 'Pietà' captures the moment Jesus is taken down from the cross and cradled by Mary.

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A name to remember -

Michelangelo signed the piece after its provenance was questioned. He carved his name over the sash running across Mary's chest.

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A dislike of Leonardo da Vinci -

Michelangelo is said to have nurtured a strong dislike towards Leonardo da Vinci (pictured). The men, both mighty figures of the High Renaissance, held two diametrically opposed attitudes to art.

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Third in line -

A masterpiece of Italian Renaissance sculpture, 'David' was created by Michelangelo between 1501 and 1504. But he wasn't the first choice to produce the piece.

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Shape of things to come -

The project first took shape in 1464, overseen by Florentine sculptor Agostino di Duccio using a huge block of marble quarried from Carrara. It was later carried on by Antonio Rossellino in 1475.

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Created from discarded marble -

Both sculptors had in the end rejected the marble due to imperfections found in the colossal slab. But Michelangelo had no such qualms about using the discarded rock, and after four years produced one of the most famous sculptures in the world.

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Michelangelo sends Biagio da Cesena to Hell -

Michelangelo's 'The Last Judgment' covers the whole altar wall of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City. The masterwork features numerous figures in a state of undress, a detail that provoked the ire of Biagio da Cesena, Pope Paul III's master of ceremonies. Michelangelo responded to Biagio da Cesena's criticism by painting the displeased prelate into Hell, as Minos, judge of souls, being accosted by demons.

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Masquerading as one of the twelve apostles -

Michelangelo was inspired by the Bible when creating 'The Last Judgment.' He appears as a stylized version of Saint Bartholomew in one portion of the fresco, effectively masquerading as one of the twelve apostles of Jesus.

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Career highpoint -

The Sistine Chapel ceiling itself took four years to complete, painted between 1508 and 1512.

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Another sneaky selfie -

Michelangelo also portrayed himself as Saint Nicodemus in his so-called 'Florentine Pietà.' Interestingly, Michelangelo, dissatisfied with his work, began to destroy it, but was stopped by his servant.

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Finishing off St. Peter's Basilica -

In 1546, Michelangelo was appointed architect of St. Peter's Basilica. He was asked by the Catholic Church to help in the completion of the majestic dome. Already retired from painting, he continued to supervise the work from home after he was no longer physically able to visit the site, regularly sending drawings, designs, and answers to his assistants.

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Michelangelo was a prolific poet -

Michelangelo's creative genius extended to poetry. Over the course of his life, he wrote more than 300 poems—sonnets and madrigals that dealt with such broad themes as love and death, with many spiritual and mystical in nature.

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He had to deal with Julius II's mood swings -

One of Michelangelo's most generous, albeit combative, patrons was Pope Julius II. The pontiff commissioned the artist's paintings in the Sistine Chapel and also hired Raphael to create the Raphael Rooms. He had a quick temper, though, and his relationship with Michelangelo was fraught.

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Profiting from pontiffs -

In fact, beginning in 1505, Michelangelo worked for nine consecutive Catholic pontiffs from Julius II to Pius IV (pictured).

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Property speculator -

As well as being paid handsomely by well-heeled Vatican incumbents, Michelangelo generated additional income from investing widely in property.

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Michelangelo was worth a fortune -

In fact, Michelangelo was super rich by medieval standards, far wealthier than even da Vinci, Raphael, and Titian. It's estimated that when he passed away, Michelangelo was worth a tidy 50,000 florins—about US$27.5 million in today's money.

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The artist occasionally pleaded poverty -

But even an esteemed figure such as Michelangelo sometimes had to wait for his paycheck. In this letter from the artist to his father, Michelangelo bemoans the fact that he's not received any money from the pope for 13 months. He also contradicts a rumor of his death.

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He designed the fortifications for Florence -

Michelangelo's skills as an architect were called upon after Florence expelled the ruling Medici family and installed a republican government. Michelangelo, sympathetic to the republican cause despite being in the employ of the Medici Pope Clement VII, was appointed director of the city's fortifications. When the pope's forces returned 10 months later to reclaim the city, these defenses proved a formidable obstacle. Fortunately, Pope Clement VII forgave Michelangelo for his role in the rebellion. Had he not, Michelangelo would have been executed for treason.

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'Pietà' vandalized -

In 1972, Hungarian-born Australian geologist Laszlo Toth took a hammer to Michelangelo's 'Pietà' while shouting "I am Jesus Christ—risen from the dead." The priceless statue was badly damaged, but eventually restored by Vatican experts. Toth was later diagnosed as mentally unstable.

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David vandalized -

In another senseless act of vandalism, the left foot of 'David' was damaged by a chisel-wielding unemployed Italian man named Piero Cannata in 1991. He hammered off the tip of the second toe.

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He lived in near squalor -

Despite his considerable wealth, Michelangelo was moderate in his personal life. Actually he lived in near squalor and often slept in his clothes and boots. And apparently he rarely bathed.

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No wife, no children -

Michelangelo led a mostly solitary life with few known intimate relationships. He never married, and had no children. He likely had affairs with women, but there has been some speculation that Michelangelo might have been drawn to men. Scholars, however, cannot confirm his sexual preference.

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Three biographies published in his lifetime -

Three biographies were published during Michelangelo's lifetime, a rare honor for the period. One of the biographers, Giorgio Vasari, proposed that his work transcended that of any artist living or dead, and was "supreme in not one art alone but in all three." Another, Paolo Giovio (pictured), described his nature as "so rough and uncouth that his domestic habits were incredibly squalid.

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Michelangelo lived a long life -

Michelangelo died in Rome on February 18, 1564, at the ripe old age of 88. He lived far longer than the usual life expectancy of the era, which was around 60 years for males.

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Michelangelo was buried in Florence -

Michelangelo was interred in an elaborate tomb at the Basilica di Santa Croce in Florence. 

Sources: (Walks of Italy) (History.com) (Michelangelo.org)

See also: Is St. Peter really buried under the Vatican?

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