Museo Pietà Rondanini Michelangelo

Since 2015 the Pietà Rondanini has had a dedicated exhibition space: the Spanish Hospital of the Castello Sforzesco, specially restored to house Michelangelo’s masterpiece. Built in 1576 to welcome those sick with plague, this place of suffering lends itself to hosting the sculpture of absolute pain: the maternal pain when faced with the death of a child. The restoration has maintained the sixteenth-century structure of the room, characterising by cross vaults and wall decorations, which is accessed from a reception area with ticket office and bookshop that has the function of filtering out the noise of the city. After crossing the threshold of the room, you immediately find yourself facing the bent back of Mary: a curatorial choice that upsets the usual front-facing enjoyment of works of art. Michele De Lucchi says: “The greatest surprise is seeing the work exhibited from the rear and having to walk around the statue to see it in all its wonder. The Madonna’s back is as expressive and moving as can be. Michelangelo shaped this suffering figure with a curve traced in the marble that belongs to all the ages of art, from the Renaissance to Expressionism”.
To safeguard the masterpiece from any type of vibration, an anti-seismic platform has been built made of metal plates to guarantee the absorption of any movement.
The context of the display is essential: the room remains empty except for the presence of three oak benches and a display case containing the history of the work. On the wall opposite the entrance, behind a screen, are the funeral mask and a medal of Michelangelo, created respectively by Leone Leoni and Daniele da Volterra. The oak rafter floor gives the environment warmth and produces a material contrast that brings out the white of the marble. The lighting of the statue is designed to avoid shadows, while inside the room a natural light is spread that enhances the frescos without conflicting with the centrality of the Pietà.