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Was Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni an atheist?

No, Michelangelo was not an atheist.  Like many people in Renaissance society, Michelangelo was Catholic. Prior to the Renaissance, nearly everyone associated themselves with the Catholic faith. Humanist ideas began to enter society during the Renaissance. Some people did turn away from Catholicism in favor of a humanist worldview, but most adopted humanist ideas and remained Catholic. It was socially unacceptable to deny God completely, so many chose to espouse both Catholic and humanist beliefs. This was the case with Michelangelo, though he was particularly devout in his Catholic faith.


Michelangelo was heavily influenced by the Bible and Christianity in his artwork. Among those art pieces inspired by the Bible were Pietà, David, and the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo sometimes combined Biblical references with mythology and other non-Biblical references. An example of this are the female mythological figures painted on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. During the Renaissance, a renewed fascination with ancient Greek and Roman cultures occurred in society.


Vittoria Colonna became a special female companion of Michelangelo in his later years. She was a devout Catholic, and she inspired him to develop a deeper faith himself. He remained a Catholic for the rest of his life.

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