A marble bust of Christ the Saviour, long housed in a Roman basilica, has been re-attributed to Renaissance master Michelangelo after nearly two centuries of obscurity. The sculpture, located in the Basilica of Sant’Agnese fuori le mura on the ancient Via Nomentana, had been linked to Michelangelo until the early 19th century before its origins were forgotten.
Italian independent researcher Valentina Salerno, a member of the Vatican committee marking the 500th anniversary of Michelangelo’s birth, led the re-attribution. Her investigation relied on extensive archival work, including notarial records, posthumous inventories, and correspondence from Michelangelo’s final years in Rome, rather than stylistic analysis alone.
Franco Bergamin of the Order of Lateran Canons Regular expressed surprise at the discovery, noting that the monumental complex of Sant’Agnese always holds surprises. Salerno, who describes herself as an investigator rather than an art historian, emphasised that the strength of her research lies in public archival documents.
The documents challenge the long-held belief that Michelangelo systematically destroyed his late works. Instead, they suggest that drawings, studies, and marble sculptures were carefully transferred within a trusted circle after his death. One document refers to a locked room, accessible only with multiple keys, created to safeguard valuable materials.
The research outlines a discreet network through which unattributed works were moved to religious institutions and secondary storage sites, remaining in functional settings rather than entering the art market. The Sant’Agnese bust appears to be part of this process, preserved in a building shaped by centuries of renovations.
The gleaming white sculpture now stands on an altar in a side chapel of the basilica, protected by an alarm system. The findings will form the basis of a broader attribution process aimed at returning other forgotten works to Michelangelo’s hand.
