Abstract
In complement to the actual Vittoria Colonna (1492–1547), the life-long friend of Michelangelo Buonarotti (1475–1564), there was a literary one, the Vittoria present in many of his poems. This essay examines Michelangelo's creation in the context of her role as a part of his literary strategy, a role that enables him to articulate for his readers the expression of his feelings. Given that Michelangelo's inner complexity was largely due to his homosexuality, in order to understand Colonna's role more clearly, the essay also examines the poems that he wrote about Tommaso Cavalieri, the other great love of his life. The two groups of poems stand in stark contrast to one another. Cavalieri is portrayed as comforting and accessible. To the contrary, Colonna is a prodigious presence who impassively precipitates the expression of Michelangelo's worthlessness, and thus serves as his perfect spiritual guide and muse.
