In 1975, an unseen treasure by Michelangelo was discovered under a church in Florence, Italy. This concealed drawing room, a remarkable proof of his artistic brilliance, is now open to the public.
Once upon a time, during a dark period of history, Michelangelo experienced a particularly challenging time when he had to hide from the Pope’s pursuit. It is said that in 1530, Michelangelo was sentenced to death by the Pope and had to hide for two months in a secret room beneath the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Florence.
Florence, a city renowned for its stunning art and architecture, holds many secrets. One of these secrets is the hidden room in the Medici Chapels museum, part of the Bargello Museums complex. This room, believed to be Michelangelo’s hiding place, has now been opened to the public for the first time after centuries.
Massimo Osanna, the director of museums in Italy, announced that the completion of the new exit and adjustments to comply with safety regulations have allowed the opening of Michelangelo’s Secret Room. This is an extraordinarily fascinating place, but extremely delicate due to the narrow space and the need to protect the charcoal drawings on the walls.
The stunning drawings of the Stanza Segreta, or Secret Room, were rediscovered in 1975. At that time, Paolo Dal Poggetto, the director of the Medici Chapels museum, tasked restorer Sabino Giovannoni with cleaning part of the walls of a narrow chamber beneath the church. This chamber, designed by Michelangelo in 1520, had been used to store coal before being sealed shut some 20 years earlier.
Initially, the plan was to create a new tourist entry and exit point. But what Giovannoni found changed everything. Under two layers of plaster, he realized the walls were covered in large-scale charcoal and red chalk sanguine drawings, executed with the confidence and ease of a master draftsman.
Paola D’Agostino, the director of the Bargello Museums, recounted that the moment you enter that room, everyone is speechless. As your eyes adjust to the low light, the various drawings and different layers gradually come into view.
But why was Michelangelo sequestered in this subterranean space, with only a single window letting in light from the street above? At the time, the Medici family, his main patrons, had just returned from exile after being overthrown by a populist revolt in 1527. Because Michelangelo had worked for the republican government, overseeing the city’s fortifications, Pope Clement VII—a member of the Medici family—had sentenced him to death. Hiding beneath the basilica was Michelangelo’s way to lay low until he was back in the Pope’s good graces. Fortunately, about two months later, the Medici family forgave Michelangelo, lifted the death sentence, and allowed him to leave his (newly decorated) hiding place to resume work on the family’s tombs at the basilica.
Most scholars agree that the chamber’s sketches appear to be the work of Michelangelo. If you want to judge for yourself, be forewarned that there will still be limited access to the Secret Room. The museum is making just 100 tickets available each week, priced at €32 ($34), including access to the Medici Chapels. Each visit is limited to 15-minute slots for groups of four, with a 45-minute gap between visits to limit the works’ exposure to light.
And so, the story of Michelangelo and the secret room concludes with a happy ending, as his magnificent artwork, hidden for centuries, is finally recognized and displayed for the public to admire.
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