People can now visit Michelangelo’s hideaway

FLORENCE: A hidden historical gem, Michelangelo’s clandestine hideaway, will soon welcome curious visitors. On November 15, the Museum of the Medici Chapels in Florence will unveil the “secret room” where the great Renaissance maestro, Michelangelo, is rumored to have sought refuge from an enraged Pope.

Nestled within the museum’s walls, Michelangelo’s secret chamber harbors an array of charcoal sketches depicting the human form—a collection credited to the artistic genius himself, believed to have taken sanctuary there in 1530.

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This covert compartment, measuring a mere 10 meters in length, three meters in width, and with a height of 2.5 meters at the apex of its vault, once served as a coal storage facility before its chance rediscovery during renovations in 1975.

Former Museum of the Medici Chapels Director, Paolo Dal Poggetto, originally attributed many of the drawings adorning the walls to Michelangelo, postulating that the artist had retreated to the room following a falling out with Pope Clement VII. Nonetheless, subsequent debates have arisen over the authenticity of these attributions.

Starting from November 15, intimate guided groups, limited to four individuals, will have the rare opportunity to explore the chamber for a maximum of 15 minutes. Tickets, priced at 20 euros ($21.20) per person, are in addition to the 10 euros entry fee for the main museum.

The restricted number of visitors per time slot is necessitated by the necessity to alternate periods of exposure to LED lighting with extended intervals of darkness, as stated by the museum. Access to the room involves navigating a cramped and narrow stairway, and the weekly quota of visitors will be capped at 100 people.