Michelangelo Staircase

During the pontificate of Julius III (1550-55), the need to create large and dignified spaces imposed a radical transformation of the upper part of the Vatican Belvedere. Two corridors that follow its hemicycle perimeter connect the bodies of the building on the sides of the top exedra.

For half a century, the narrowing of the concave staircase, made by Bramante, dominated the area of the current Pinecone Courtyard. Michelangelo designed a double flight staircase in grey stone and bricks of very refined workmanship to restore the decorum and make the open space accessible. The radical restoration took place in the early eighteenth century to maintain the shapes set by the artist two centuries before and change the colors for the use of travertine.

The recent restoration restored the stability and gave an adequate color to the rest of the courtyard, enabling the finding of large parts of the curtain walls of Michelangelo and traces of the peperino parts. These findings allowed the reconstruction in a virtual way forms and aspects of the Michelangelo staircase. Restorers contributed new and important data to this little Vatican architectural jewel, a model of the Campidoglio staircase, and countless others in the following centuries.