🏛️ Medici Chapel: 2026 tickets, hours and main masterpieces

Michelangelo's sarcophagi are hidden behind the unremarkable brick facade of San Lorenzo. Crowds walk past to the Duomo, while inside the Medici Chapel it is almost empty. The ticket offices of the basilica and the museum are separate, and their opening hours do not coincide.

Below you will find prices and hours for 2026, a breakdown of all the halls, and a clear visiting order. The facts were verified in September 2026 against the museum website and the basilica page.

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Medici Chapel: what it is and where it is located

💡 In short:

The Medici Chapel unites Michelangelo's New Sacristy, the baroque Chapel of the Princes, and the underground crypts.
Museum admission costs 11 €, closed on Mondays (verified 09/09/2026 on the official museum website).
On the first Sunday of the month the museum is open free of charge, but reservations on such days are cancelled.
Prices and opening hours: 09/2026, verified on the official website

Dome of the Medici Chapel and panorama of Florence

The Medici Chapel Museum occupies part of the Basilica of San Lorenzo, the family church of the Medici dynasty. Since 1869 the museum has belonged to the state (according to the museum reference). The visit goes through three levels: the New Sacristy, the Chapel of the Princes, and the underground crypts.

The entrance to the chapels is located on Piazza Madonna degli Aldobrandini. The main facade of the basilica faces Piazza San Lorenzo, while the chapels stand on the opposite side. There are two ticket offices and two queues here, and tickets are sold separately. You will get confused if you come to the central entrance of the church.

History: Brunelleschi, the Medici, and Michelangelo

The Basilica of San Lorenzo was consecrated back in the early Middle Ages, and it acquired its current appearance in the 15th century. Cosimo the Elder de' Medici commissioned Filippo Brunelleschi to add a dome to the old church. This is how the Old Sacristy, the first burial place of the family, came into being.

A hundred years later, Pope Clement VII, himself a Medici, commissioned Michelangelo to create the New Sacristy. The work went on from 1519 to 1534 (according to the museum chronicle). The client wanted a burial place for the dukes, but got one of the main masterpieces of Florentine Mannerism.

Michelangelo worked for a family he himself did not support. He sympathized with the republicans, while the Medici returned to power by force. The master feared revenge from his patrons, but he carried out the commissions diligently. The history of the family can be read in every hall, and you will notice it immediately.

Interior of the Basilica of San Lorenzo

Dome of the Old Sacristy of San Lorenzo, black-and-white photo

The Basilica of San Lorenzo serves as the burial place of many Florentine painters, historians, and politicians. Sarcophagi of the city's most famous citizens stand on the marble floor and on the upper tiers of the walls. The nave's gray sandstone columns support a flat coffered ceiling.

Paintings by Florentine masters hang in the large niches. Here you will see "Saint Matthew" by Pietro Marchesini, "The Crucifixion" by Francesco Conti, and "The Crucifixion and Two Mourners" by Lorenzo Lippi. Part of the wall is occupied by Bronzino's fresco of the martyr Saint Lawrence, with a pipe organ standing below it.

Through the bronze grille near the altar you can see the tomb of Cosimo the Elder de' Medici. It was arranged by the citizens themselves as a sign of gratitude to the ruler. This was how Florence said farewell to the city's most generous patron of the arts.

In the center of the hall, two pulpits resembling sarcophagi stand on tall supports. They are decorated with Donatello's bronze reliefs depicting scenes from the life of Christ. The reliefs are among the master's last major works. Donatello spent the end of his life in Florence and is buried here as well, beneath a marble slab.

Brunelleschi's Old Sacristy

Interior of the Old Sacristy of San Lorenzo with altar and dome

The Old Sacristy was used for storing church vessels and preparing priests. But at San Lorenzo it had another role: it became the crypt of the dynasty's founder, Giovanni di Bicci. Filippo Brunelleschi designed the space as a perfect square with strict lines.

Drawing on antiquity, Brunelleschi placed columns and pilasters in the interior. The walls are clad with panels of gray-green marble that emphasize the hall's regular forms. A corridor beneath the dim vaults leads down to the burial chambers and the tomb of Cosimo the Elder.

Inside, you are greeted by bronze busts of the Medici and precious church vessels. Note the silver processional cross from the early Middle Ages and the reliquary of the Holy Resting Ones. The wooden doors of the crypt are decorated with fine carving.

Michelangelo's New Sacristy

Michelangelo designed and decorated the New Sacristy, or Sagrestia Nuova, himself. From 1519 to 1534 he worked both as architect and as sculptor (according to the Medici Chapels website). Only here do architecture and sculpture form a single whole.

Muted colors and a thin beam of light from the window create a sense of calm. You enter the museum separately, from Piazza Madonna degli Aldobrandini. First you descend into the underground crypts, then you ascend to the Chapel of the Princes. From there a short corridor leads to the New Sacristy with the dukes' tombs.

Michelangelo chose white Carrara marble and personally selected the blocks in the Carrara quarries with exacting care. The allegories Day, Night, Dawn, and Dusk are polished to a shine, and you can make out every detail.

Sarcophagus of the Duke of Nemours

In one of the niches stands the marble statue of Giuliano, Duke of Nemours, the younger son of Lorenzo de' Medici. He sits on a throne in the armor of a Roman soldier, his head thoughtfully turned to the side. On either side of the sarcophagus recline Night and Day, two of Michelangelo's allegories.

Sarcophagus of the Duke of Urbino

Opposite, against the other wall, rises the statue of Lorenzo, Duke of Urbino, grandson of Lorenzo the Magnificent. He is depicted as an ancient Greek warrior and sits in armor above his tomb. At his feet rest the allegories Dawn and Dusk.

Tombs of Lorenzo the Magnificent and Giuliano

In the third burial lie Lorenzo the Magnificent and his brother Giuliano, who was killed by conspirators. The tomb is shaped like a long tabletop. On it stand Michelangelo's "Madonna and Child" and statues of Saints Cosmas and Damian by his pupils.

Chapel of the Princes

Dome of the Chapel of Princes in Florence

The Chapel of the Princes was built by the architect Matteo Nigetti in the early 17th century. The hall serves as a monumental mausoleum of the Grand Dukes of Tuscany, finished in marble and semi-precious stones. The court workshop Opificio delle Pietre Dure worked on the cladding.

Marble, porphyry, and malachite were used for the decoration. Thin stone slabs were matched by pattern and joined without visible seams. You will search for a seam for a long time and never find it.

The installed sarcophagi are decorated with the Medici family coats of arms. The coat of arms features balls, whose number was linked to the size of the interest rate on loans. Mosaic tiles below bear the coats of arms of Tuscan cities.

Only two sculptures stand in the niches: Dukes Ferdinand I and Cosimo II. The chapel was never completed, so the other niches remain empty.

The Medici and the Renaissance: what you need to know

Courtyard of Palazzo Medici Riccardi with arcades

The Medici ruled Tuscany for nearly three centuries, and the dynasty died out in 1737 (according to the museum). Creative freedom in Florence did not last long: from the 15th century onward, all talented masters depended on the ducal court.

After the defeat of the republicans, Michelangelo hid in the San Lorenzo sacristy until the pope forgave his rebellion.

Among the scenes from the life of Christ on Donatello's pulpits are the Garden of Gethsemane and the Deposition from the Cross.

Donatello was unpretentious: he worked not for money and was content with modest food. He kept the coins he earned in a basket hanging from the ceiling of his workshop, and his pupils took from it freely. Not a single drawing or model of his works has survived.

What else to see nearby

You will find the Laurentian Library in the same San Lorenzo complex. The grand vestibule with Michelangelo's staircase and the manuscript collection make it a destination in its own right. The reading room is open on weekdays and by appointment only (as of the library website).

Vestibule of the Laurentian Library with pilasters and coffered ceiling

Florence's main attractions stand right next to San Lorenzo. For David and the Uffizi, it is best to book a time slot in advance: a timed-entry ticket to the Accademia and priority-entrance tickets to the Uffizi.

The Duomo dome and Palazzo Vecchio are also easier to visit with a timed entry: a ticket with a dome reservation and a timed-entry ticket to Palazzo Vecchio.

You can walk to the Accademia and the Duomo in ten to fifteen minutes (on the map). The route along the San Lorenzo market leads straight into the center, past the cathedral.

Medici Chapel tickets and opening hours

Chapel dome and bell tower of San Lorenzo among cypresses

The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 08:15 to 18:50 (checked on 09.09.2026 on the museum website). The museum is closed on Mondays, and last entry is forty minutes before closing.

A regular ticket costs 11 €, and an optional reservation adds 3 €. A combined ticket is valid for 72 hours for all open museums in the group and costs 38 € (checked on the tickets page).

The audio guide in five languages costs €6 per device (according to the museum's materials). If you want to save money, come on the first Sunday of the month: admission is free, but reservations are not valid on those days. The line is longer on those dates, so take a morning slot.

A ticket to the Basilica of San Lorenzo itself is sold separately and covers the church, the Old Sacristy, the cloister, the Museo del Tesoro, and the crypt. Get it in advance: skip-the-line basilica tickets.

Site	Admission	Hours	Closed
Medici Chapel	€11 (museum)	Tue-Sun 08:15-18:50	Monday
Basilica of San Lorenzo	€9 (basilica)	Mon-Sat 10:00-17:30	Sunday
Laurentian Library	free by appointment (library)	Mon-Fri, until 13:45 or 17:15	Sat and Sun

Tours and tickets in Medici Chapels

Guided tours, skip-the-line tickets and activities — most offers can be cancelled free of charge.

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How to get to the church of San Lorenzo

The complex address: Piazza di San Lorenzo, 9, Florence (according to the basilica's website). The Medici Chapel has a separate entrance from Piazza Madonna degli Aldobrandini.

Piazza San Lorenzo with the basilica and market stalls

From Santa Maria Novella station you can walk there in ten minutes (according to the map). A city bus stops near the basilica, and the stop is called San Lorenzo. If you're driving, it's convenient to leave your car at the underground parking near the station, and from there you can also walk.

Medici Chapel on the map

Open the map to plan a route from your hotel. The entrance to the chapel museum is marked on the back side of the basilica.

⁉️🤔 Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to enter the Medici Chapel?

An adult ticket costs €11, and an optional reservation adds €3 to the price (as of 09/2026, museum website). A combined ticket for €38 is valid for 72 hours across the group's museums. On the first Sunday of the month the museum is open for free, but reservations are canceled on those days.

Do I need to book a ticket in advance?

In high season, without a reservation you'll stand in line at the ticket office. Get a ticket with a fixed time slot in advance, especially for a weekend morning. Last entry to the museum is forty minutes before closing, and by 18:50 the hall is already emptying out.

How is the Medici Chapel different from the Basilica of San Lorenzo?

Tickets here vary, and so do the ticket offices. The Medici Chapel belongs to the group of state museums along with the New Sacristy and the Chapel of the Princes. The basilica gives access to the church itself, the Old Sacristy, the cloister, the Museo del Tesoro, and the crypt for €9 (as of 09/2026, basilica page).

How long does a visit take?

For the chapel museum, allow an hour to an hour and a half. You will spend about another hour in the basilica. If you also want to see the Laurentian Library, add a relaxed third hour to your itinerary and take your time.

Can you take photos inside?

In the basilica, photography is allowed without flash or a tripod (basilica rules). In the museum halls, follow the same rule. It is better not to pull out a flash or tripod; the attendants are quick to call you out.

How to get there from Florence train station?

From Santa Maria Novella station to San Lorenzo is a ten-minute walk (on the map). There is also a bus stop by the basilica, but walking gets you there faster and without transfers.

In short: what is worth booking

If you want to see the chapel without rushing, get a museum ticket for Tuesday morning. With children, it is easier to go on the first Sunday of the month, but the line is longer on those days. One visit to the New Sacristy is enough for Michelangelo.

Do not mix ticket offices: Florence tickets on Tiqets and guided tours on GetYourGuide will cover most plans. Buy your San Lorenzo basilica ticket separately if you are going to the Old Sacristy.

Medici Chapel in Florence: what to see inside and how to buy a ticket