A hidden chamber, adorned with Michelangelo’s artworks, is set to open its doors to the public in Italy.

Michelangelo is celebrated for monumental masterpieces like the statue of David, the expansive frescoes of the Sistine Chapel, and the iconic dome of St. Peter’s Basilica, which defines the skyline of Rome.

Yet, it's Michelangelo Buonarroti’s more subtle and intimate creations that will be unveiled in the artist’s concealed room in Florence for the first time.

Nestled beneath the Medici Chapels in Florence, this small room holds the masterpieces Michelangelo crafted for the tombs of the Medici family, located behind the church of San Lorenzo in the New Sacristy.

In 1975, while renovations were underway to add a new exit to the site, a restorer uncovered a series of human figure sketches beneath two layers of plaster in a coal storage corridor under the sacristy.

The cramped room measures 33 feet in length, 10 feet in width, and 8 feet in height.

The drawings – rendered in charcoal and sanguine (a reddish chalk or crayon), often layered one on top of another in varying sizes – were attributed to Michelangelo by Paolo Dal Poggetto, the former director of the Medici Chapels.

Legend has it that Michelangelo sought refuge in this cramped space for several weeks in 1530, after Pope Clement VII – a Medici and newly reinstated ruler of Florence, who had returned to power after being exiled by a republican government that Michelangelo had supported – issued a death sentence against him. The sentence was later lifted, and Michelangelo resumed his work in Florence before eventually moving to Rome four years later.

The sketches are thought to be preparatory studies for future works, including the legs of one of the statues in the New Sacristy.

Francesca de Luca, curator of the Museum of the Medici Chapels, stated, 'This space offers visitors a rare opportunity to connect directly with the maestro's creative process, and to experience the early stages of his transformation into a mythic, divine artist.' Paola D’Agostino, director of the Bargello Museums, which oversees the chapels, emphasized that the restoration was 'an extensive, meticulous, and continuous effort.'

Although the space has never been regularly open to the public, it will start allowing visits on November 15, with strict limits to preserve the drawings. Only 100 visitors per week, in groups of four, will be admitted, with 15-minute time slots available every day except Tuesdays and Sundays. Due to the narrow staircase leading to the room, it is not wheelchair accessible, nor suitable for children under 10.