Researcher Claims Michelangelo Authored Roman Christ Bust

An independent researcher has claimed that a centuries-old marble bust of Christ housed in a Roman basilica is an authentic work by Michelangelo Buonarroti, reigniting debate among art historians on the attribution of the Renaissance master's lesser-known pieces. Valentina Salerno, who lacks formal credentials in art history, announced her findings on Wednesday at a press conference in Rome, attributing the sculpture in the Basilica of Sant'Agnese fuori le mura to the artist based on archival documents.

The bust, depicting Christ the Savior and standing on an altar in a side chapel of the basilica along Rome's ancient Via Nomentana, had been listed as an anonymous 16th-century piece from the Roman school by Italy's culture ministry. Historical records show it was linked to Michelangelo until the early 19th century, when its origins faded into obscurity. Salerno's research traces the sculpture's provenance through notarial acts, posthumous inventories, and correspondence from Michelangelo's final years in Rome, suggesting it was modeled after the artist's close friend, Tommaso de' Cavalieri.

Salerno, an actress and fiction writer who began her investigation a decade ago while...