Cecchino Bracci (real name Francesco de Zanobi Bracci) (Florence, 23 April 1528 – Rome, 8 January 1544) was a pupil of

Michelangelo Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (6March 147518February 1564), known mononymously as Michelangelo, was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance. Born in the Republic of Florence, his work was inspir ...

. He died at the age of fifteen and is buried in

Santa Maria in Aracoeli Santa Claus (also known as Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle or Santa) is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring gifts during the late evening and overnight hours on Chris ...

, in a tomb designed by Michelangelo.

Life and legacy

Cecchino was born in Florence on 23 April 1528 to Zanobi Bracci, a wealthy banker. The Bracci dynasty had moved to Florence in 1395 from the smaller town of Vinci. In the 16th century they were among the richest of the Florentine banking families, and friends of the

Medici The House of Medici ( , ; ) was an Italian banking family and political dynasty that first consolidated power in the Republic of Florence under Cosimo de' Medici and his grandson Lorenzo "the Magnificent" during the first half of the 15th ...

. They acquired palazzo Neroni in via de' Ginori as their base, along with a chapel in

Santa Maria Novella Santa Maria Novella is a church in Florence, Italy, situated opposite, and lending its name to, the city's main railway station. Chronologically, it is the first great basilica in Florence, and is the city's principal Dominican church. The ch ...

. Around 1540 Cecchino accompanied his uncle, Luigi del Riccio, to Rome where he had links with the

Strozzi Strozzi is an Italian surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Numerous members of the Strozzi family, an ancient later ennobled family from Florence ** Alessandra Macinghi Strozzi (c. 1408–1471), an Italian businesswoman and aristoc ...

banking family. Cecchino's beauty and manners made him welcome at the papal court. During his stay he met some of the major Florentine artists working in the city, including

. He died on 8 January 1544, and his devastated uncle begged Michelangelo to design the tomb and write some verses as an epitaph. On 12 January del Riccio wrote to his friend Donato Gionnoti, at

Vicenza Vicenza ( , ; or , archaically ) is a city in northeastern Italy. It is in the Veneto region, at the northern base of the Monte Berico, where it straddles the Bacchiglione, River Bacchiglione. Vicenza is approximately west of Venice and e ...

: "Alas, my friend Donato! Our Cecchino is dead. All Rome weeps. Michelangelo is making for me the design of a decent sepulture in marble; and I pray you to write me the

epitaph An epitaph (; ) is a short text honoring a deceased person. Strictly speaking, it refers to text that is inscribed on a tombstone or plaque, but it may also be used in a figurative sense. Some epitaphs are specified by the person themselves be ...

, and to send it to me with a consolatory letter, if time permits, for my grief has distraught me. Patience! I live with a thousand and a thousand deaths each hour. O God! How has Fortune changed her aspect!"

composed more than forty-two epigrams of four lines each. Cecchino was buried in the church of

in Rome.

References in Michelangelo's poetry

Bracci is seen in Michelangelo's poem G.193 where he laments that he did not get to know him for long enough. He states: :Scarce had I seen for the first time his eyes :Which to your living eyes were life and light, :When closed at last in death's injurious night :He opened them on God in Paradise.

The tomb

File:Cecchino de' Bracci, chiesa dell'Aracoeli, Roma - Foto di Giovanni Dall'Orto.jpg File:Cecchino de' Bracci, tomba nella chiesa dell'Aracoeli, Roma - Foto di Giovanni Dall'Orto.jpg File:Cecchino de' Bracci, tomba, chiesa dell'Aracoeli, Roma - Foto di Giovanni Dall'Orto.jpg

References

Citations Bibliography * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bracci, Cecchino Dei 1542 deaths Michelangelo People from the Province of Arezzo Renaissance sculptors 1520s births Italian LGBTQ sculptors LGBTQ Roman Catholics 16th-century Italian sculptors Italian male sculptors