Tommaso dei Cavalieri

Tommaso dei Cavalieri (c. 1509—1587) was an Italian nobleman, who was the object of the greatest expression of Michelangelo's love. Michelangelo was 57 years old when he met Cavalieri in 1532. The young noble was exceptionally handsome, and his appearance seems to have fit the artist's notions of ideal masculine beauty, for Michelangelo described him as "light of our century, paragon of all the world". The two men remained close to each other throughout their lives and Cavalieri was present at the artist's death.