Italy celebrates 550 years of Renaissance master Michelangelo who was born on 6 March 1475.

Florence has paid tribute to Michelangelo on the 550th anniversary of his birth by restoring the Buonarroti family tombstone under which the Renaissance genius rests.

The project, overseen by the Opificio delle Pietre Dure and Opera di Santa Croce, has fully restored the marble inlay which was damaged by time and the devastating flood in 1966.

An official ceremony to mark the occasion will be held on Wednesday at 10.00 in the Basilica of Santa Croce in collaboration with the Accademia delle Arti e del Disegno and Florence city council, where a laurel wreath will be laid on the newly restored tomb.

• Italy celebrates 550 years of Renaissance genius Michelangelo

Numerous Tuscan marbles were used in the creation of the tombstone: white Carrara, grey Bardiglio, yellow Siena, red Maremma, green Prato and Medici breccia, along with Alberese limestone.

The Buonarroti family established an altar at Santa Croce in 1570, six years after the death of Michelangelo, whose funeral monument in the church was designed by Giorgio Vasari.

The restoration of Michelangelo's tomb is part of a wider programme of initiatives in Italy to mark the anniversary of the Renaissance master whose influence on the development of Western art was unparalleled.

Photo Finestre sull'Arte