What if Florence, in Italy, had not yet revealed all its secrets to its visitors? Renaissance master Michelangelo spent two months in 1530 beneath the chapels of the Basilica of San Lorenzo, in order to escape the death sentence ordered by Pope Clement VII.
Until now, this room was accessible only to historians and art researchers. Visitors will be allowed to enter from November 15, but only in groups of four. A restricted device which aims to best preserve the room and the relics it contains. Francesca de Luca, curator of the Medici chapels, declared in a press release that the general public will have the opportunity to discover a piece with “exceptional evocative potential”. And adds: “Its walls seem to contain a multitude of sketches of figures, most of them monumental in format, accompanied by signs which testify to a great clarity of conception [de la part de Michel-Ange] “.
The existence of these sketches remained unknown until 1975. At the time, Paolo Dal Poggetto, then director of the Medici Chapels, discovered them while looking for a suitable space to create a new outlet for the museum. A trapdoor hidden under a cupboard provided access to this room, 10 meters long and 3 meters wide, which resembles a cell.
A period of isolation and creativity
Pope Clement VII was a member of the Medici, with whom Michelangelo was in conflict after participating in the Republic of Florence. During this revolt, the powerful family was temporarily expelled from the Italian city. The return to power of the Medici pushed the artist, then 55 years old, into hiding until he finally obtained a pardon from the Pope.
During this period of isolation, Michelangelo is said to have made numerous charcoal and chalk drawings on the walls of his room. Since the artist did not usually sign his works, it is difficult to confirm the origin of these sketches with certainty. But the general opinion is that most of them are by the Italian master, due to the similarities they have with some of his most iconic works.