Inside Michelangelo’s Closet

The life and loves of the most tormented artist in the Renaissance

Michelangelo Buonarroti is undoubtedly the greatest Italian Renaissance genius and one of the most modern artists in history. His groundbreaking works revolutionized Western art, inspiring generations of future artists all over the world. However, although his life is well documented and many biographies have been written on him, there is still an aura of mystery around his sexual orientation. Some even claim that it is a topic which would be better left unsaid.

When his grandnephew published Michelangelo’s poems, he edited them changing all masculine pronouns into feminine. He wanted to dispel the doubts about the artist’s sexual preferences and clean his reputation from the taint of homosexuality. Today, we can safely assume that Michelangelo had many masculine loves in his life but “what we have today is an invisible character because of the harsh light shining on him”, as historian and biographer Antonio Forcellino so cleverly puts it.

This tour aims at giving you a fuller picture of Michelangelo’s life taking into account his sexual orientation and his relationships, which helped shape his great art. We will visit the Accademia Gallery where his David and the huge marble Prisoners, are located. You will be learning both the art and life of this exceptionally talented Renaissance master.

What we will do together

• We will visit the Accademia Gallery from an inclusive angle
• We will talk about Michelangelo’s love life and secret affairs
• We will admire the worldwide famous David and discover its deepest secrets
• We will discover many Renaissance artists who followed in Michelangelo’s… queersteps!

Details

Includes: fully guided tour

Meeting point: Via Ricasoli 56/60

Type: Museum tour

Duration: about 1,30 hrs

Fees: € 50,00 per person. Admission fees NOT included (16,00 € per person to be paid cash the day of the tour)

If you need more info, please use the contact form

Book a tour