Twenty unique works by Michelangelo have been authenticated following an archival research.

Twenty previously unknown works by Michelangelo Buonarroti have been recently authenticated, thanks to research conducted by Valentina Salerno. Her study, titled 'Michelangelo in His Last Days', reconstructed the final moments of the artist by analyzing five-hundred-year-old documents from Italian and foreign archives. Salerno discovered that Michelangelo did not destroy his works, as was believed, but hid them to protect them.

In his last days, the artist entrusted his students with the task of preserving the works, which were stored in a secret hideout. At his death, the notary found only a few works, most of which were already safe. The discovery was supported by a scientific committee made up of renowned experts and was accelerated by the sale of a sketch by Michelangelo at auction, which confirmed the authenticity of the works. Salerno emphasizes the importance of these discoveries for understanding Michelangelo's artistic legacy.