Michelangelo Buonarrotti’s visits to massage and prostitution houses called stufe were a source of inspiration for the elaboration of frescoes in the Sistine Chapel, according to researcher Elena Lazzarini of the University of Pisa.

The models of muscular bodies that appear in the famous painting are said to be both clients and prostitutes of these stuffs. And, always according to Lazzarini, some of the characters in the frescoes have a clear homosexual attitude.

The researcher points out that this method of inspiration was common at the time, and that other artists, such as Da Vinci and Bronzino, were also said to have a habit of going to brothels under the pretext of work.