Michelangelo's Staircase

in the Laurentian Library - Florence, Italy

Michelangelo's Staircase in the Laurentian Library Florence (Italy)
The problem of the difference in level between the vestibule and the reading room required the creation of a staircase. 
The famous tripartite staircase designed by Buonarroti to be made of wood and which Bartolomeo Ammannati then executed in pietra serena.
For the first time, one can recognize an anticipation of the Baroque style that would soon invade Europe. While the straight lines of the lateral parts are fully Renaissance, the monumental central steps, elliptical in shape like an imaginary stone flow, are an original invention by Michelangelo; this particular curved line was also used in the Medici tombs of the New Sacristy and in the arches of the Santa Trinita bridge. The staircase is in fact made up of a central part dominated by the curve and two other lateral entrances with square steps.

Michelangelo's staircase is a testament to his brilliance as an architect and his ability to transform even functional architectural elements into works of art. His influence on architecture is evident in this extraordinary creation. Today, the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana is open to the public and is one of Florence's main cultural attractions, allowing visitors to admire this extraordinary Renaissance staircase.