Michelangelo Buonarroti

Famouus all over the world Michelangelo left several works of art in Florence. A full day tour in Florence can include The Basilica of Santa Maria Novella, where Michelangelo, still young apprentice, helped his teacher Domenico Ghirlandaio during the execution of the frescoes in the Tornabuoni Chapel. Then the San Lorenzo Church, Medici Chapels and Medicean Library, where the artist worked as an architect as well, and, of course the Gallery of the Academy, to see the real David, taken here in 1873 from the Piazza della Signoria, and the unfinished "Slaves", replaced by plaster copies in the Grotto of Buontalenti (Boboli Garden) in 1909. In Palazzo Vecchio it is unfortunately impossible to see any traces of his huge unfinished fresco representing the Battle of Càscina, but his statue representing "Il Genio della Vittoria" is there, with his probable self portrait. In the Museum of Opera del Duomo his wonderful Pietà can be admired in a special room, and so the expressive face of Nicodemus, another self portrait of the artist. In the Bargello National Museum some early works are exposed, such as the famous Baccus, the bust of Brutus, the Tondo Pitti and Apollo. In Casa Buonarroti some other early works by him are exposed, like the Battle of the Centaurs, or the Madonna of the staircase.

Michelangelo was buried in the Basilica of Santa Croce, his grave monument was designed by Giorgio Vasari.
In Florence we can follow the different steps of the carreer and like of this outstanding artist.