Michelangelo's little-known "Secret Room", a tiny chamber with sketch-filled walls, will open to the public almost 50 years after it was discovered hidden behind a trap door in Florence. The precious venue at the Museum of the Medici Chapels at the Bargello Museum will be accessible to the public on an experimental basis from 15 November, strictly by reservation, until 30 March 2024.

Bargello director Paola D'Agostino unveiled the visiting information on Tuesday, more than a month after the news was first announced by Massimo Osanna, director general of Italian state museums, who described the room as "a place of extraordinary charm". Visits to the room, which can be accessed via the New Sacristy, will be limited to four people at a time, for a maximum stay of 15 minutes.