AB II-III, 7 Private agreement relating to the tomb of Giulio II

The Michelangelo’s hand-writing, dated on 10 Dicember 1501, shows the artist’s excitment in order to provide information to the stonemasons to find the marble blocks for the tomb of Giulio II. Skilled connoisseur of the Carrara marble querries, Buonarroti orders to remove a massive amount of marble: sixty marble “carrate”, of which four intended for the statues. The sculptor recommends that the marble blocks coming from the Polvaccio quarry or in another place and that they’re “alive, such when they’re white, clean and beautiful”.