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Birth and Early Life Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni, his full name, was born on 6 March 1475 at Caprese, while his father was still Podestà of Chiusi and Caprese, a charge he fulfilled until 30 March of the same year, after which the family returned to Settignano, not far from Florence. His mother was Francesca di Neri del Miniato del Sera, who died in 1481, while Michelangelo was still a child. In 1482 Michelangelo began to attend the Grammar school of Francesco da Urbino, known as “The Greek”, due to his knowledge of that language. He was not a brilliant student, preferring to skip class and attend drawing lessons, to the exasperation of both his father and the schoolmaster. Around this time he became a friend of Francesco Granacci (1469-1543) a pupil of Ghirlandaio, who would bring him in secret drawings by the master, so Michelangelo could copy them. At last, in 1488, his father gave in and, realising his son’s interest for painting could not be quenched, enrolled him in the workshop of Domenico Ghirlandaio for a period of three years, where, against the normal practice of the times, Michelangelo received a salary. Apparently it was during this period he began his career as a sculptor. He had access to the collection of Sculptures in the Medici Garden, a connection which eventually drew him into the Medici circle. Michelangelo leaned the basics of fresco technique at Ghirlandaio’s workshop, where he also had the opportunity to copy some of the great masters of the past. In 1490 he worked as part of Ghirlandaio’s workshop in the decoration of the central chapel of the Church of Santa Maria Novella. Also in 1490 Lorenzo the Magnificent asked Ghirlandaio for two youths to be housed at San Marco, to learn the secrets of sculpture. The chosen ones were Michelangelo and Francesco Granacci. Lorenzo was so impressed with Michelangelo’s ability that he asked Ludovico, the future sculptor’s father, if he might take the child to the Medici Palace as an adoptive son and receiving a small allowance, an arrangement which lasted till the death of Lorenzo in 1492. For this his father was rewarded with a position at the Florentine customs. |