The 15 Most Important People in European History

The List:
1 Adolf Hitler
2 Isaac Newton
3 Albert Einstein
4 Queen Elizabeth I
5 Charles Darwin
6 King Henry VIII
7 Leonardo Da Vinci
8 Mahatma Gandhi
9 Otto Von Bismarck
10 Galileo Galilei
11 Winston Churchill
12 Michelangelo
13 William Shakespeare
14 Francis Bacon
15 Pablo Picasso
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No. 12 Michelangelo

Michelangelo Buonarroti, sculptor, painter, poet, and architect, was born near Florence, Italy, on 6 March 1475. In his youth, he was an enthusiastic admirer of Savonarola, the fiery reforming preacher of Florence (d. 1498). When he was 21, he went to Rome and there carved the PIETA ("Compassion"), a statue of the Virgin holding the dead body of her Son in her lap after He was taken down from the cross.

Five years later he returned to Florence and there carved a giant statue of the youthful David going out to meet Goliath. His best-known work is his painting of the walls and ceiling of the pope's chapel--the Sistine Chapel--with a sequence of frescoes portraying the Creation and the Last Judgment, accompanied by portraits of prophets and sybils. He carved a set of statues for the tomb of the de Medici family, and another for the tomb of Pope Julius II, including a magnificent and awe-inspiring portrayal of Moses. He also designed the dome of St. Peter's basilica, and then spent his last years with poetry, architecture, and drawing. He left more than 300 sonnets, which contain his spiritual autobiography.

Michelangelo had direct impact on people's everyday lives. His name is universal. Michelangelo was an Italian painter, sculptor, architect and poet in the period known as the High Renaissance. He is remembered in history as one of the greatest artists of all time. People look at him as a strong and dedicated man.

The second reason for his inclusion is the large-scale impact on countries. At this time of the Renaissance, Michelangelo attracted attention to Italy. His art motivated others to work harder because they wanted to be competition. The final reason for inclusion is the impact on long-term movements. His art continues to live on today as the Sistine Chapel has been revamped. This work of art is an amazing sight for anyone to see.

Birth: March 6, 1475 in Caprese, Italy
Nickname: Not Applicable
Education: studied with painter Domenico Ghirlandaio and sculptor Bertoldo di Giovanni
Occupation: Artist
Religious Affiliation: Catholic
Marriage: Never married.
Children: None.
Political Affiliation: Medici family even though he fought against them during the famous siege of Florence in 1530.
Writings: Michelangelo wrote around 300 poems and many letters. Amongst them are many love poems, full of Platonic imagery, to the beautiful Tommaso de' Cavalieri, whom Michelangelo met in 1532. Others, intensely spiritual, are addressed to Vittoria Colonna; his latest poems express the fears of age over sin and salvation.
Died: February 18, 1564 at home in Macel de Corvi, Rome.
Buried: Despite the wish of the pope that he should be buried in St. Peters, his coffin was taken to Florence by his nephew and heir, and he was buried there.

Links for Michelangelo
Michelangelo Buonarroti - http://www.michelangelo.com/buonarroti.html
Art Restoration in Italy - http://www.robertfulford.com/restore.html
WebMuseum: Michelangelo - http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/michelangelo/
Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel Ceiling - http://sun.science.wayne.edu/~mcogan/Humanities/Sistine/index.html