Giorgio Vasari Architect, painter and art historian Giorgio Vasari was born in Arezzo, Italy on July 30, 1511. Vasari was a student of the world famous Michelangelo. During his travels, Vasari took notes on various artists and paintings he encountered which resulted in his book, The Lives of the Most Excellent Italian Architects, Painters, and Sculptures. Vasari's murals can be seen at the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. Giorgio Vasari died in Florence on June 27, 1574.