TOMB OF MICHELANGELO BUONARROTI

Michelangelo's Tomb is a work of Vasari (1570) and it's found at the beginnig of the right aisle of the church of Santa Croce, as soon as crossed the main doorway of the Basilica. Over to the tomb three sculptures are found they represent the personifications of the Painting, of the Sculpture and of the Architecture, sad for the passing of the great master, but all the tomb is a mixture of painting, sculpture and architecture. The tomb, dominate from the bust of Michelangelo (work of Battista Lorenzi) is decorated from the statues of the Architecture (work of Giovanni dell'Opera), the sculpture (work of Valerio Cioli), the Painting (work of Battista Lorenzi) and from frescoes work of G.B. Naldini.

Michelangelo Buonarroti (6 March 1475 - 18 February 1564) died in Rome on 18 February 1564, to the age nearly 89 years. On 20 February 1564, the body of Michelangelo was placed in the church of Santi Apostoli in Rome. Lionardo, the grandson, organizes the transport of the remains to Florence, but fearing, of being able to be hindered, it hides the body of Michelangelo in a cloth coil and it loads on a cart with other merchandise, the remains of the artist will arrive to Florence 3 weeks after, on 10 March 1564. The body was deposited in the compagnia dell'Assunta, behind San Pier Maggiore and two days after it was transported, from the artists of the Academy, during the night, in Santa Croce, this was done between an immense crowd, at the light of the torchs. On 14 July 1564, after numerous postponement, the funerals of Michelangelo were carry out in the church of San Lorenzo, after the ceremony, the body of the great artist at last was placed in his tomb in Santa Croce. 

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