The famous Medici Chapel of Florence will finally be allowing four visitors at a time to enter the long-hidden secret room in the Chapel which is said to have charcoal drawings on its walls, some of which have been attributed to Michelangelo. 
 
The secret room, which is 10-by-3 metres (33-by-10 feet) in size, was first found in 1975 when officials started searching for the Medici Chapel's new exit to accommodate increasing visitors. 
 
The then-director of the museum Paolo Dal Poggetto “firmly believed that they were by Michelangelo,’’ stated Paola D’Agostino, the current director. The paintings of Michelangelo have been under fierce debate which continues to this day. 
 
“The major scholars of Michelangelo’s drawings dismissed the attributions” at the time it was discovered 50 years ago, she stated. “Others had a more moderate view, in the sense they thought that some could be by Michelangelo and others could be by followers. So the debate is ongoing,” she added.

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Till 1955, the room was used for storing coal after which it was sealed and forgotten for years underneath a trapdoor, which remained hidden by furniture. The drawings on the walls were also discovered under two layers of plaster. 
 
As per the theory proposed by Dal Poggetto, Michelangelo had hidden in the tiny space from “the wrath of Pope Clement VII” after he had supported a short-lived republic which overthrew the Medicis. In the room, the artists had sketched studies for a few of his projects.

<h2>Secret room remained 'hidden' for 50 years</h2>

The artwork on the wall includes sketches which are said to be the legs of Giuliano de’ Medici, which is near the entrance of the secret room. For the last 50 years, the room's access has remained restricted. 
 
It was decided by the officials that the room would be opened to the public on a limited basis, and the works would be placed in extended periods of darkness after long exposure to LED lights for protection.

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The secret room will be opened from November 15 and 100 visitors will get access every week through reservation, four at a time. The visitors will get to spend 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.”

(With inputs from agencies)

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The famous Medici Chapel of Florence will finally be allowing four visitors at a time to enter the long-hidden secret room in the Chapel which is said to have charcoal drawings on its walls, some of which have been attributed to Michelangelo.

The famous Medici Chapel of Florence will finally be allowing four visitors at a time to enter the long-hidden secret room in the Chapel which is said to have charcoal drawings on its walls, some of which have been attributed to Michelangelo. The secret room, which is 10-by-3 metres (33-by-10 feet) in size, was first found in 1975 when officials started searching for the Medici Chapel's new exit to accommodate increasing visitors. The then-director of the museum Paolo Dal Poggetto “firmly believed that they were by Michelangelo,’’ stated Paola D’Agostino, the current director. The paintings of Michelangelo have been under fierce debate which continues to this day. “The major scholars of Michelangelo’s drawings dismissed the attributions” at the time it was discovered 50 years ago, she stated. “Others had a more moderate view, in the sense they thought that some could be by Michelangelo and others could be by followers. So the debate is ongoing,” she added. ALSO READ | Mona Lisa reflects Leonardo da Vinci's genius in more ways than one. Here's how Till 1955, the room was used for storing coal after which it was sealed and forgotten for years underneath a trapdoor, which remained hidden by furniture. The drawings on the walls were also discovered under two layers of plaster. As per the theory proposed by Dal Poggetto, Michelangelo had hidden in the tiny space from “the wrath of Pope Clement VII” after he had supported a short-lived republic which overthrew the Medicis. In the room, the artists had sketched studies for a few of his projects. Secret room remained 'hidden' for 50 years The artwork on the wall includes sketches which are said to be the legs of Giuliano de’ Medici, which is near the entrance of the secret room. For the last 50 years, the room's access has remained restricted. It was decided by the officials that the room would be opened to the public on a limited basis, and the works would be placed in extended periods of darkness after long exposure to LED lights for protection. WATCH | Canadian artist Sougwen Chung paints with robots The secret room will be opened from November 15 and 100 visitors will get access every week through reservation, four at a time. The visitors will get to spend 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.” (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Florence chapel to allow visitors inside 'secret room' filled with Michelangelo's works

Modern problems require modern solution is a catchphrase used in many memes but ingenuity of scientists and artists sometimes makes us believe the urban adage.

When one says the word 'bacteria' it generally elicits a negative sentiment. Armies of bacteria are ever ready to make us sick. But not all bacteria are bad. We are not talking about good bacteria that reside in our gut helping us digest food and all that but some other bacteria.

A truly bright idea allowed scientists to successfully restore a medieval masterpiece in Florence, Italy. The artist is none other than Michelangelo, the master of renaissance years.

The master created a chapel for the powerful Medici family in medieval Italy. The year was 1520. Passage of time meant that the chapel and the tomb of members of Medici family accumulated dirt and grime that was hard to clean.

Scientists thought of a novel approach to tackle this problem. They tested 11 strains (types) of bacteria for their effect on marble and selected a few from among them.

The strains that were selected were Serratia ficaria SH7, Pseudomonas stutzeri CONC11 and Rhodococcus sp. ZONT

Selecting the bacteria was an important task as it was absolutely necessary to ensure that the bacteria only cleaned the dirt and didn't cause any harm/ degrade the marble of which the invaluable artwork was made.

Bit it was observed that the carefully selected bacteria did the job they were expected to do.

Funnily enough, bacteria names Serratia ficaria causes urinary tract infection. But it was observed that it cleaned the marble within two days. The strains of bacteria were applied to the artwork in the form of a gel.

The chapel was presented to the public on 545th birth anniversary of Michelangelo.

Modern problems require modern solution is a catchphrase used in many memes but ingenuity of scientists and artists sometimes makes us believe the urban adage. When one says the word 'bacteria' it generally elicits a negative sentiment.

Modern problems require modern solution is a catchphrase used in many memes but ingenuity of scientists and artists sometimes makes us believe the urban adage. When one says the word 'bacteria' it generally elicits a negative sentiment. Armies of bacteria are ever ready to make us sick. But not all bacteria are bad. We are not talking about good bacteria that reside in our gut helping us digest food and all that but some other bacteria. A truly bright idea allowed scientists to successfully restore a medieval masterpiece in Florence, Italy. The artist is none other than Michelangelo, the master of renaissance years. The master created a chapel for the powerful Medici family in medieval Italy. The year was 1520. Passage of time meant that the chapel and the tomb of members of Medici family accumulated dirt and grime that was hard to clean. Scientists thought of a novel approach to tackle this problem. They tested 11 strains (types) of bacteria for their effect on marble and selected a few from among them. The strains that were selected were Serratia ficaria SH7, Pseudomonas stutzeri CONC11 and Rhodococcus sp. ZONT Selecting the bacteria was an important task as it was absolutely necessary to ensure that the bacteria only cleaned the dirt and didn't cause any harm/ degrade the marble of which the invaluable artwork was made. Bit it was observed that the carefully selected bacteria did the job they were expected to do. Funnily enough, bacteria names Serratia ficaria causes urinary tract infection. But it was observed that it cleaned the marble within two days. The strains of bacteria were applied to the artwork in the form of a gel. The chapel was presented to the public on 545th birth anniversary of Michelangelo.

Michelangelo's chapel in Florence restored with help from bacteria

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