Michelangelo Buonarroti is famous for his majestic creations, such as the statue of David, the ceiling frescoes in the Sistine Chapel, and the dome of St. Peter, which dominates the Roman skyline. Now his lesser-known work is being presented to the public for the first time in the artist’s “secret room” in the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Florence, CNN reports.
This small space is located under the Medici Chapel in the Basilica of San Lorenzo, where Michelangelo created elaborate tombstones for members of the Medici family.
In 1975, during restoration work, many drawings of human figures were discovered under two layers of plaster in the corridor under the sacristy, which was previously used for storing coal.
The “Chamber of Secrets” measures 10 meters long, 3 meters wide and 2.5 meters high. The drawings, made in charcoal and sanguine (a rusty red crayon or pencil), often one on top of the other and in different sizes, were attributed to Michelangelo by the former director of the Medici Chapel, Paolo Dal Poggetto.
It is believed that it was in this room that Michelangelo hid from the wrath of Pope Clement VII after a falling out with the influential Medici family.
“This site provides modern visitors with a unique opportunity to come into direct contact not only with the master’s creative process but also with the perception of the formation of his myth as a divine artist,” Francesca De Luca, curator of the Medici Chapel Museum, said in a statement.
The director of the Bargello Museum, of which the chapels are part, Paola D’Agostino, said the restoration was “a long, constant and painstaking effort.”
The space will open to a limited number of visitors on November 15 to preserve the drawings. No more than 100 people will be able to visit the room weekly, four people per group. It is reported that 15-minute visits will be carried out every day, except Tuesdays and Sundays.