michelangelo buonarroti was one the most famous artists in the cinquecento italy: he was a painter, sculptor, architect, poet, and engineer. along with leonardo da vinci, he was often called a "renaissance man" which means that he had great talent in many areas. michelangelo lived an extremely busy life, creating a great number of artworks. some of michelangelo's works are among the most famous that have ever been made. they include two very famous marble statues, "the pieta" in saint peter's basilica and "david" which once stood in a piazza in florence but is now in the accademia gallery. his most famous paintings were huge frescos, the sistine chapel ceiling and the "last judgement". his most famous work of architecture was the east end and dome of saint peter's basilica.