On February 18, 1564, Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simone passed away at the age of 89 years old.
On that day, he succumbed to fever and his remains were interred at the Basilica di Santa Croce di Firenze in Florence, Italy (nndb. com). Michelangelo as he was popularly known was renowned for his artistry. He was a great painter, an excellent sculptor and an imaginative architect during the Italian Renaissance. But his legacy as an artist was most reflected in his architectural works.
Until the present time, his designs and aesthetics are still celebrated and admired by modern artisans.More so, his unique architectural designs which were based on the concept of anatomy instead of on geometry and the notion that the parts of a structure are dependent on its function and not on “proportions of the human body” were the theories that had set Michelangelo apart from the other artists (Ackerman 38). Three of Michelangelo’s architectural masterpieces are the Laurentian library, facade of San Lorenzo and the Medici chapel. The Laurentian library was constructed in 1525. The library was crafted out of stone masonry while the style was proto-baroque which gave a dramatic effect (Hughes 213-223).
Meanwhile, the facade of San Lorenzo showed the use of sculpture or figural style in architecture which provided a tectonic quality to the facade that added a new dimension to the establishment (Ackerman 69). Lastly, the Medici chapel was erected in honor of the Medici family who were one of the most powerful personalities during that period. “The powerful composition was emphasized by the vigour of the figures and their architectural framework which was heightened by the compression of the pietra serena members” (Ackerman 78).
