In Florence, on November 15th, the “Secret Room of Michelangelo” will open to the public, a space of 10 meters by 3, part of the complex of the Museo delle Cappelle Medicee, on whose walls studies and drawings attributed largely to the famous Renaissance artist have been found.

It is believed that Buonarroti hid there between the end of June and the end of October 1530, to escape the persecutions ordered by Pope Clement VII, who belonged to the Medici family. Michelangelo, in fact, had been involved in the construction of Florence’s fortifications on behalf of the republican government during the three years when the Medici were expelled from the city.

The room, which is accessed from the New Sacristy of the museum, was used as a storage room and charcoal deposit until the 1950s, and was then rediscovered in 1975, when drawings made in charcoal stick and red chalk emerged beneath two layers of plaster during cleaning work in the area below the apse: anatomical sketches, profiles, figures in various poses, often in monumental format.

The room will be open for visits until March 30, 2024, by appointment only and for a maximum of 15 minutes. Due to the limited space and to protect the works, only groups of four people at a time will be allowed to enter.