On what date did Michelangelo die?

Michelangelo died on February 18, 1564.

He died in Rome after a short illness, at the age of 88. His death came only weeks before his 89th birthday, since he had been born on March 6, 1475, in Caprese in the Florentine territory. Accounts place his death in the evening, near the hour traditionally associated with the Ave Maria.

Michelangelo had spent much of his later life in Rome, where he worked not only as a sculptor and painter but also as an architect. In his final years he remained involved with St. Peter’s Basilica and continued working on the unfinished Rondanini Pietà. His death therefore marked the end of an unusually long career spanning the High Renaissance and the early development of Mannerism.

Although Michelangelo died in Rome, his body was secretly taken to Florence, fulfilling his wish to be buried there. He was interred in the Basilica of Santa Croce, where a monumental tomb was later designed by Giorgio Vasari. The date is sometimes written as 18 February 1564 in European style, but it is the same date as February 18.