Florence chapel allows visitors to see ‘secret room’ filled with Michelangelo’s works

The historic Medici Chapel in Florence will finally admit four visitors at a time into the Chapel’s long-hidden secret room, which is supposed to hold charcoal sketches on its walls, some of which are credited to Michelangelo. The 10-by-3-metre (33-by-10-foot) secret compartment was discovered in 1975, while officials were looking for a second exit for the Medici Chapel to accommodate the increasing number of visitors. The current director, Paola D’Agostino, indicated that the museum’s former director, Paolo Dal Poggetto, “firmly believed that they were by Michelangelo.” Michelangelo’s paintings have been the subject of heated dispute, which continues today.

“The major scholars of Michelangelo’s drawings dismissed the attributions” when it was discovered 50 years ago, she stated. “Others had a more moderate view, in the sense that some could be by Michelangelo and others could be by followers. So the debate is ongoing,” she added.

Michelangelo hid in the little room to avoid “the wrath of Pope Clement VII” after supporting a short-lived republic that ousted the Medicis

The room was used to store coal until 1955 when it was locked and forgotten for years beneath a trapdoor that was disguised by furniture. Under two layers of plaster, the drawings on the walls were also discovered. According to Dal Poggetto’s story, Michelangelo hid in the little room to avoid “the wrath of Pope Clement VII” after supporting a short-lived republic that ousted the Medicis. The artists had scribbled studies for several of his ideas in the room. The artwork on the wall contains sketches of Giuliano de’ Medici’s legs, which are near the secret room’s entrance. The room’s entry has been restricted for the last 50 years.

The administrators agreed to offer the chamber to the public on a limited basis, and the works would be placed in protracted periods of darkness after long exposure to LED lights for protection. The secret room will open on November 15th, and 100 people will be able to enter four at a time through reservation. Visitors will have a maximum of 15 minutes inside the room.

“This place grants today’s visitors the unique experience of being able to come into direct contact not only with the creative process of the maestro but also with the perception of the formation of his myth as a divine artist,” stated Francesca de Luca, curator of the Museum of the Medici Chapels, in a statement. Meanwhile, Agostino said that restoration has been “time-consuming, constant and painstaking work.”