What was Michelangelo originally asked to create for Julius II’s tomb?

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Medallion depicting Pope Julius II — Julius II Julius II, contemporary medallion; in the coin collection of the Vatican Library.

Pope Julius II originally commissioned Michelangelo to create a monumental sepulchre that was to include 40 large statues. This ambitious project, which Michelangelo later referred to as the "tragedy of the tomb," was intended to be housed in St. Peter’s Basilica.12

Due to the pope's shifting priorities, financial difficulties, and pressure from other projects—such as the construction of St. Peter's and various military campaigns—the original design was never fully realized. The project was repeatedly scaled down, and after the death of Julius II in 1513, his heirs pushed for a much smaller and less expensive version, which was eventually installed in San Pietro in Vincoli in 1545.12