One intriguing aspect of Michelangelo’s Library was the flooring and its mirror image on the wood-carved ceiling, both of which ran down the center of the Library. Almost like points on a compass, one could find the skulls of a goat on either side of a central emblem.

Why are they here? Was it because of some macabre cult or secret society? While getting a private tour of the library along with Italy’s Minister of Culture, we were informed that the goat skulls were there to honor these animals.

Honor them? Yes, because they gave their lives for the preservation of knowledge. You see, goatskin was used to make parchment leaves, which most ancient manuscripts were written on. Each eager learner who entered the library encountered this symbol as a somber reminder of the cost to preserve knowledge for generations to come.