The first paragraph of the wikipedia page on Michelangelo sums it up as well as I could:

"Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni[1] (March 6, 1475 – February 18, 1564), commonly known as Michelangelo, was an Italian Renaissance painter, sculptor, architect, poet and engineer. Despite making few forays beyond the arts, his versatility in the disciplines he took up was of such a high order that he is often considered a contender for the title of the archetypal Renaissance man, along with his rival and fellow Italian Leonardo da Vinci."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelangelo

As the wikipedia page says Michelangelo was an archetype for his time. When schools have only a few hours to teach about the European Renaissance Michelangelo and Da Vinci are who they talk about.

He is the sort of figure that crops up any many different disciplines. Those of us today who pursue architecture, painting, sculpture or engineering each see him as one of the people who created the foundation for our cultures application of those fields.

You will find a very interesting website accumpaning a series of exhibits, lectures and other programs at Syracuse University.

"It is no exaggeration to say that Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564) was a complicated human being. The man and the myth that grew around him-even in his own lifetime-are difficult to disentangle."

"Michelangelo: The Man and the Myth"
http://michelangelo.syr.edu/

You might also be interested in a virtual tour of Casa Buonarroti:

"The idea of creating a magnificent building decorated by renowned artists in the name of family honor, above all that of its illustrious ancestors, was conceived in 1612 by Michelangelo Buonarroti the Younger"
http://www.casabuonarroti.it/english/e-home.htm

Source(s):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelangelo
http://michelangelo.syr.edu
http://www.casabuonarroti.it/english/e-home.htm


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