Michelangelo's San Lorenzo facade project on display at Palazzo Corsini

Michelangelo Buonarroti’s original design for the facade of the Basilica of San Lorenzo is on display at Palazzo Corsini as part of the Florence International Antique Biennial. The monumental project, commissioned by Pope Leo X in 1515 to provide a grand facade for the Medici-linked basilica, was never realized.

The drawing, held in the Casa Buonarroti collections, will undergo conservation restoration by the Opificio delle Pietre Dure following the exhibition. Preliminary diagnostic analysis has revealed the artist's creative process, including silverpoint traces, pencil work, and various types of ink used across different sheets of paper.