It is said that Michelangelo hid here after the Medici clan sentenced him to death in 1530 for supporting the Florentine Republic. Courtesy of Francesco Fantani/Musei del Bargello
Beneath the Medici chapels of the Basilica of San Lorenzo, a room decorated with drawings where the artist is said to have been hidden can now be visited.
SPECIAL SHIPPING TO FLORENCE
Under the Medici chapels of the Basilica of San Lorenzo Florence It hides a small, narrow chamber, designed and decorated by Michelangelo and entered from the new sanctuary where the family tombs are located. A piece discovered in 1975 by the director of the Chapel Museum, Paolo Dal Poggetto, during an inspection prior to restoration work.
He then discovers a hatch under a cupboard and then stone steps that lead him to a 10 x 3 meter chamber filled with coal. At first glance, it’s a simple pantry. But he has an inkling that something valuable might be hidden beneath the layers of plaster. After several weeks of scratching, dozens of charcoal and chalk drawings appeared on the walls, where he recognized them – miracle! – Feature of Michelangelo.
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The curator then tries to explain the subject by investigating the intertwined history of the Florentine artist and the ruling family.
