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Home , Crucifix (Michelangelo), Luigi del Riccio, Madonna of Bruges, Pope Julius II, Pope Paul III, Raffaello da Montelupo

BIOGRAPHICAL DATES

1475 March 6, born in the village of Caprese in Tuscany, second son of Lodovico (1444-1531) and Francesca. Lodovico, grandson of a successful banker and son of an unsuccessful banker in , lived on a small income from land and occasional government posts; at this time he was Podesta (governor) of Caprese. March 31, Lodovico's term expired; the family doubtless returned to Florence. The oldest son, Lionardo (1473-1510) entered the in in 1491 and played virtually no part in 's life. 1477 May 26, Buonarroto bom. 1479 March 11, brother Giovansimone born. 1481 January 22, brother Gismondo bom. About this time the family was living in an apartment rented from Lodovico's brother-in-law, a dyer. December 6, mother died. 1485 Father's second marriage to Lucrezia Ubaldini (d. M97)- 1488 April 8, Michelangelo left grammar school and was apprenticed for three years to the painter Domenico Ghirlandaio. MICHELANGELO [1]

1489 Left Ghirlandaio and studied in the gar- den of Lorenzo de' Medici the Magnificent. 1492 Lorenzo the Magnificent died, succeeded by his old- est son Piero. 1494 Rising against Piero de' Medici, who fled (d. 1503). Republic re-established under Savonarola. October, Michelangelo fled and after a brief stay in went to . 1495 In Bologna, carved three small statues which brought to completion the tomb of St. Dominic. Returned to Florence, carved the Cupid, sold to Baldassare del Milanese, a dealer. 1496 June, went to . Carved the for the banker Jacopo Galli. 1497 November, went to Carrara to obtain marble. 1498 August, in Rome, commissioned by Cardinal Gros- laye to carve the Pietd. In Florence, Savonarola burned at the stake; Florence organized traditional republican government. 1501 May-June, in Rome. Cardinal Piccolomini of Siena commissioned fifteen statues. (This project had pro- gressed in 1504, but went no further after that.) August, in Florence. Cathedral Board commissioned the marble , which was installed in 1504. 1502 August, Town Council of Florence commissioned the small bronze David as a gift for a French diplo- mat (finished in 1508 by another sculptor). 1503 April, Cathedral Board commissioned the Twelve Apostles (only the Matthew was begun). 1504 August, the Gonfaloniere (chief executive) Soderini commissioned the fresco of the Battle of Cascina for the Town Hall, to accompany the Battle of [li] Biographical Dates

Anghiari being painted by (only the cartoon was executed). 1505 March, Julius II called Michelangelo to Rome to work on his tomb, which was to have forty life- size . Michelangelo spent the following months in Carrara to arrange for marble-quarrying. 1506 April, fled from Rome to Florence, gathering that the Pope had abandoned his interest in the tomb. Bought a farm, the first of many. August, the small , carved a few years before, shipped to Flanders. November, went to Bologna to ask pardon from the Pope, who had reconquered that city. Worked on the colossal bronze statue of the Pope, installed there in February 1508. 1508 March-April, in Florence. May, Rome; began the Sistine Ceiling. 1510 September and December, brief trips to Bologna to obtain money for the ceiling from the Pope. 1512 October, ceiling finished. Return to Florence of the Medici, assisted by the army of the Emperor, which sacked the town of . Fall of the republic. 1513 February, Pope Julius II died. May, new contract with his heirs for the tomb, which was to be less ambitious in structure, but to have even more sculp- tures. Work on the and the Slaves. Election as Pope of Leo X, second son of Lorenzo de' Medici the Magnificent. Florence was informally ruled on his behalf by his younger brother the Duke of Ne- mours, his nephew (son of Piero) the Duke of Ur- bino (a title taken away from Pope Julius' family), his brother-in-law Jacopo Salviati, and his cousin Cardinal de' Medici. MICHELANGELO [lii]

1514 Contract for the Risen Christ. Occasional visits to Florence in 1514, 1515, and 1516. 1516 July, third contract for the Julius tomb, with fewer figures and more time. Trip to Carrara. Autumn, the Medici planned a facade for their church of San Lorenzo in Florence and obtained a drawing from Michelangelo. He made a model which pro- vided for ten statues. 1517 Mainly in Carrara. April, bought a house from the Cathedral Board to use in carving the statues for the San Lorenzo facade. 1518 January, in Rome. Contract for the facade with twenty-two statues. February, Cardinal de' Medici told him to obtain marble not at Carrara but at nearby Pietrasanta, which was under Florentine control. Spent most of the year in Pietrasanta, with visits to Florence. October, reassured the heirs of Pope Julius. 1519 Mainly in Pietrasanta and Florence. The Pope and Cardinal forced the heirs of Julius to permit him to work in Florence only. He therefore spent thirteen months in Carrara to get fresh marble for the Julius tomb, replacing that sent earlier to Rome. 1520 Contract for the facade of San Lorenzo canceled; it was to be done by others in a simple form. Car- dinal de' Medici planned instead the Medici tombs, for the Duke of Nemours (d. 1516), the Duke of (d. 1519), and other members of the family, to be placed in a special chapel of San Lorenzo. 1521 Began work on the . Trip to Carrara. The Risen Christ, finished by others, installed in S. Maria sopra Minerva, Rome. Death of ; [liii] Biographical Dates

his book collection sent to Florence. The Dutch Pope Adrian VI elected. 1522-23 In Florence, working on the Julius tomb, though urged by Cardinal de' Medici to work on the Medici chapel. 1523 November 19, Cardinal de' Medici elected Pope Clement VII. Project to build the Medici Library in Florence. 1524 The building of the Medici Chapel finished. Work on the statues for the tombs of the Dukes. Project to add tombs for Leo and Clement. Work on the Medici Library. 1525 Arguments over the Julius tomb. Steady work on the Medici tombs and Library continued through 1526. 1527 by troops of the Emperor; the Pope a refugee. Florence exiled the Medici and re-estab- lished the republic. 1528 July 8, death of brother Buonarroto, leaving a widow, daughter Francesca, and son Lionardo (b. 1518). (None of Michelangelo's other brothers had any family.) The Pope and Emperor, reconciled, planned to attack the republic. Michelangelo named a member of the committee of nine to fortify the city. 1529 April 8, chief of fortifications. Visits to various cities on military business. September 25, fled to Venice. September 30, declared a rebel. November 30, re- turned with safe-conduct and resumed work on the fortifications. 1530 August 12, the republic fell and the Medici resumed power (permanently). MICHELANGELO [liv]

1530-31 Work on the Medici tombs; two of the statues finished. The Pope issued a brief permitting him to do no other work. 1531 Death of his father.* November, his assistant An- tonio Mini left for . Michelangelo gave him drawings and models. 1532 Planned to renegotiate the contract for the Julius tomb. April, visit to Rome. June, contract ratified, with only six figures, and a penalty against Michel- angelo. July, to Rome; met Tommaso Cavalieri. 1533 June, to Florence; work on the Medici tombs and Library. Sent drawings to Cavalieri. November, to Rome. 1534 June, to Florence; met Febo di Poggio. September, to Rome, permanently. September 25, Pope Clem- ent VII died; Paul III (Farnese) elected. Began work on The Last Judgment. 15 36 Met Vittoria Colonna. 1537 December 11, the Pope issued a motu proprio to prevent the heirs of Julius from disturbing the work on The Last Judgment. 1541 Vittoria Colonna retired into a convent at . October 31, The Last Judgment finished. 1542 Became friendly with . February 27, arranged for to carve three statues for the Julius tomb. March 6, agreement with the Duke of Urbino (heir of Julius) that Mi- chelangelo would complete the other three. August

* Until recent study, Michelangelo's father was always thought to have died in 1534, solely on the basis of the lines in Michelangelo's poem on his death, referring to him as ninety. For that reason the poem appears out of order in all editions including the latest, which is followed here to avoid inconvenience. [Iv] Biographical Dates

20, formal (and last) contract, in which Michelan- gelo was to finish the Moses and Raffaello was to complete the other two statues nearly finished by Michelangelo. 1542 October-November, the Duke delayed ratifying the contract, while Michelangelo worked on his three statues and delayed beginning the Pauline Chapel for the Pope. December, contract ratified. 1543 Began painting the Pauline Chapel. 1544 January, sketch for the tomb of Cecchino Bracci. June-July, illness; stayed with Luigi del Riccio in the Strozzi Palace. Vittoria Colonna returned to Rome. 1545 Julius tomb installed. for Vittoria Colonna. December, illness, again with Riccio in the Strozzi Palace. 1546 Gave the Slaves (left over from the early Julius projects) to Roberto Strozzi. Designed cornice for the Farnese Palace (of the Pope's family). Luigi del Riccio died. 1547 January 1, named architect of St. Peter's. February 25, Vittoria Colonna died. 1548 January 9, brother Giovansimone died. 1549 , Pope Paul III died. His successor Julius III confirmed Michelangelo as architect of St. Peter's. Pauline Chapel finished. 1550 Benedetto Varchi in Florence published his explica- tion of a sonnet by Michelangelo. Vasari published his Lives of the Artists. 1553 Nephew Lionardo married. Condivi's life of Michel- angelo published. 1555 Pope Julius III died. Marcellus II, his successor, un- favorable to Michelangelo, died in a month; Paul MICHELANGELO [lvi]

IV then confirmed Michelangelo as architect of St. Peter's. November 13, brother Cismondo died. De- cember 3, servant Urbino died. Exchanged sonnets with Bishop Beccadelli, one of the overseers of St. Peter's. 1556 Work on St. Peter's continued in this and following years. 1559 Design for the church of S. Giovanni dei Fioren- tini. Paul IV died and Pius IV reappointed Michel- angelo. 1560 Design for and other city gates. Com- pleted wooden model for the dome of St. Peter's. 1564 February, working on the Rondanini Pietct for him- self. February 18, died.