Michelangelo's Secret Room Opens to Public at Florence's Medici Chapels

From November 15, 2023, Michelangelo's secret room at the Medici Chapels in Florence will be accessible to the public for the first time, nearly 50 years after its discovery in 1975. The small chamber, measuring 10 by 3 meters with a maximum height of 2.5 meters, contains charcoal drawings attributed to Michelangelo, discovered under two layers of plaster by restorer Sabino Giovannoni. Former museum director Paolo Dal Poggetto attributed them to Michelangelo, suggesting the artist hid there in 1530 to escape Pope Clement VII's vengeance. The drawings include studies for the New Sacristy (such as legs of Giuliano de' Medici), the Laocoon head, and other sculptural and painted projects. Access is via a narrow staircase from the New Sacristy, limited to groups of four, with a maximum stay of 15 minutes. Weekly visitors are capped at 100, and tickets cost €23 (including €3 booking fee) on top of the regular €10 museum entry. The experimental phase runs until March 30, 2024, with the Opificio delle Pietre Dure monitoring conservation conditions. The room's opening follows the completion of a new museum exit designed by Paolo Zermani, featuring two travertine volumes on Via Canto dei Nelli. The Medici Chapels are part of the state-run Bargello Museums directed by Paola D'Agostino, with the announcement made by General Director of Museums Massimo Osanna.