The Medici Chapel in Florence is located on the territory of the church of San Lorenzo and is considered one of the most beautiful and sad places in the city. Thanks to the great masters of the Renaissance, the luxury of the earthly existence of the Medici clan was embodied in the decoration of their last shelter. Crypts and tombstones, made by famous masters of the Renaissance, remind of the perishability of earthly existence and the eternity of the universe.

Construction history

The Church of San Lorenzo, founded in 393 by Saint Ambrose, was reconstructed in the 11th century, after which it acquired the appearance of a rectangular basilica with columns of different sizes at the base. The architect Filippo Bruneleschi, commissioned by Cosimo the Elder Medici, added a building in the form of a hemispherical dome to the medieval church in the 15th century and covered it with red tiles.

The long rectangular room of the Basilica of San Lorenzo ends with a bifurcation, on the left side of which is the old sacristy (sacristia) and the passage to the Laurenziano library building, on the right side is the Medici Chapel, and at the end rises the Chapel of the Princes. The rough facing of the outer surface of the church contrasts with its magnificent interior decoration.

Interior decoration

The Church of San Lorenzo is the tomb of many prominent Florentine painters, historians and politicians. For the most famous personalities, sarcophagi were installed on the marble floor and on the upper tiers of the walls. The pillars of the basilica end with Gothic ceiling vaults made of gray stone. In huge vertical niches there are paintings by the great Florentine painters Pietro Marchesini “Saint Matthew” 1723, “The Crucifixion” 1700 by Francesco Conti, “The Crucifixion and Two Sorrowers” Lorenzo Lippi.

Part of the wall is decorated with a huge fresco depicting the great martyr St. Lawrence by the artist Bronzino, and a musical organ is installed on a dais. Through the bronze lattice, under the altar of the church, one can see the burial place of Cosimo the Elder Medici, which was arranged by the townspeople themselves, expressing deep gratitude and appreciation to the philanthropist and ruler of Florence.

In the center of the hall, on high supports, there are two pulpits resembling sarcophagi. They are decorated with bronze reliefs depicting scenes from the life of Christ. These are the last works of Donatello, a unique bronze casting master, the founder of a sculptural portrait and a round statue, who spent the last years of his life in Florence and rests under a marble slab in the church of San Lorenzo.

Timed entrance ticket for Michelangelo's David – €16
Uffizi Gallery entrance ticket – €20
Uffizi Gallery: Priority entrance – €40
Florence Cathedral: Dome entrance ticket – €29
Palazzo Vecchio entrance ticket and audio guide – €19
Tour Hop- on Hop-off. Ticket for 24, 48 or 72 hours – from 23 €
Leonardo da Vinci Museum: entrance ticket – 7 €
Tour to the Duomo with a guide and climb to the top of the dome – 40 €
Entrance ticket to the Basilica of San Lorenzo – 8.50 €
Air flight balloon over Tuscany: Florence – 250 €

old sacristy

The sacristy (sacristy) serves to store church supplies and prepare priests for worship, but in the Basilica of San Lorenzo it has a different purpose. The old sacristy has become the crypt of the founder of the Medici family, Giovanni di Bicci. Designed by the architect Filippo Brunneleschi, the tomb is an ideal square room, the architecture of which is dominated by strict geometric lines.

Influenced by ancient masters, Brunneleschi uses columns and pilasters in the interior, which are characteristic of Roman architecture. The walls are decorated with grey-green marble overlays, which, in combination with beige plaster, emphasize the regular forms of the sacristy. A corridor under the gloomy vaults leads to the lower burial chambers and to the tomb of the Medici Cosimo the Elder. The walls of the crypt are decorated with red altar velvet with patterns of silver ornate plates.

Bronze busts of the reposed Medici and precious church utensils are scattered everywhere. The silver cross for processions of 877, the reliquary of the Saints of the Dead of 1715, the golden tabernacle of Lorenzo Dolci of 1787 deserve special attention. The wooden doors of the crypt are elaborately carved.

New sacristy

The New Sacristy, or Chapel, was designed and recreated by the architect Michelangelo commissioned by Giulio de' Medici of Pope Clement VII in 1520. The room was intended for the burial places of the great Tuscan dukes from the Medici family. Michelangelo at that time was in a rather difficult position, being, on the one hand, a supporter of the Republicans, who fought a fierce struggle with the Medici, on the other hand, he was a court sculptor working for his enemies.

The master erected a temple and a crypt for the family, which, in case of victory, could severely punish their architect. The road to the Medici Chapel leads through the entire Basilica of San Lorenzo and turns right, where going down the steps you can get to the room with the tombs.

Sarcophagus of the Duke of Neymour

The muted colors of the room and the thin rays of light breaking through a small window in the ceiling create a feeling of sadness and peace in the ancestral tomb. In one of the niches on the wall there is a marble sculpture of Giuliano Duke of Neymour, the youngest son of Lorenzo de' Medici. The figure of a young man sitting on a throne, dressed in the armor of a Roman soldier, and his head thoughtfully turned to the side. On both sides of the sarcophagus, majestic statues are reclining, personifying the day and night of the work of Michelangelo.

Sarcophagus of the Duke of Urbino

On the opposite side of the wall, opposite the coffin of Giuliano, a sculpture of Lorenzo, Duke of Urbino, grandson of Lorenzo Medici, was erected. The Duke of Urbino, Lorenzo, is depicted as an ancient Greek warrior sitting in armor over his tomb, and majestic sculptures recreating morning and evening are located at his feet.

Sarcophagi of the brothers Lorenzo the Magnificent and Giuliano

The third burial of the Chapel is the graves of Lorenzo the Magnificent and his 25-year-old brother Giuliano, who died at the hands of the conspirators in 1478. The tombstone is made in the form of a long tabletop, on which marble statues of “Madonna and Child” by Michelangelo, “Saint Cosmas” by Angelo di Montorsoli and “Saint Domian” by Rafael di Montelupo are installed. The entire composition of the Chapel is united by the rapidly running moments of life and the endless flow of time.

Chapel of the Princes

The entrance to the Chapel of the Princes is possible from Piazza Madonna del Brandini, which is located on the opposite side of the Church of San Lorenzo. This sumptuous room houses six burial places of the hereditary Grand Dukes of Tuscany. The Hall of the Princes was designed in 1604 by Mateo Nigetti, and decorated by Florentine artisans from the Pietra dura workshop, which belonged to the Medici family.

Various types of marble and semi-precious stones were used for wall cladding. Thin stone plates were selected according to the ornament and tightly fastened at the joints. The installed sarcophagi are decorated with the Medici family emblems. The dukes were moneylenders and the founders of the extensive banking system of Western Europe.

On their coat of arms there are six balls, which were considered the value of the interest rate on loans issued. Mosaic tiles in the lower part of the wall are represented by coats of arms of Tuscan cities. Only two sculptures are installed in the recesses – these are Dukes Ferdinand I and Cosimo II. Due to the fact that the Chapel was not finally completed, other niches were left empty.

What else to see

The most valuable collection of books and ancient manuscripts is in the Laurenziano Library. The library building and the magnificent gray staircase leading to it are the work of Michelangelo. The beginning of the collection of the manuscript collection was laid by Cosimo the Elder Medici and continued by Lorenzo I of Medici, after whom the literary repository is named. To get to the library, you need to cross the well-groomed churchyard.

Excursions

The reign of the Medici dukes lasted about 300 years and ended in the middle of the 18th century. The Medici skillfully used art and architecture to demonstrate their wealth and power. Court sculptors, architects and artists received orders for the construction of palaces and the production of paintings. At the beginning of the 15th century, several Medici families chose the church of San Lorenzo as a burial place for members of their family.

Each of the branches of the dynasty paid for the construction and reconstruction of a certain area in the basilica. Someone from the clan was honored to be in the Chapel of the Princes, and someone rests in the niches of the crypt. All the subtleties and interweavings in the biography of the most famous Tuscan family will be explained to travelers by competent guides who have rich experience in conducting excursions in Florence and are fluent in historical material.

Mysteries of the Medici Chapel

The clan of the Medici dukes from the 15th to the 18th century created the history of Florence. Their families included popes and two queens of France. The Medici were not only influential rulers, but also patrons who patronized the great creators of the Renaissance. Possessing great power and untold wealth, the Medici dukes, according to historical evidence, tried at first to buy, but when they were refused, they made several attempts to steal the Holy Sepulcher from Jerusalem in order to place it in the middle of the Chapel of the Princes.

Who is buried in the Chapel of the Princes of the Basilica of San Lorenzo? What gems are used to decorate the octagonal tomb of the Dukes? Who owned and how were the jewelry and granite workshops of Florence used? How were the mosaic surfaces of various rocks connected to each other, and why are the connecting seams not visible on the wall cladding? Curious tourists will get answers to these and many other questions by taking advantage of an individual tour with a professional guide.

Great Tombs of the Medici

Two years after the death of Pope Leo X, the grandson of Lorenzo the Magnificent, Pope Clement XVII, continued to finance the construction of the chapel in the new sacristy of San Lorenzo. The sculptor Michelangelo and his apprentices worked on the design of the Medici Chapel for more than 10 years. Michelangelo's favorite material was white marble from the Carrara quarries. The master himself was often present at the selection of blocks for his work.

The allegorical sculptures of Day, Night, Morning and Evening in the Medici Chapel are also made by the architect from white Carrara marble and carefully polished to a shine. Explore all corners of the Church of San Lorenzo and not get lost in the corridors of the tombs, learn a lot of interesting information in a short period of time and see the iconic sights of Florence and the Medici Chapels – this is possible only with the help of competent guides and individual excursions.

Medici and Renaissance

Freedom of creative choice was possible in Republican Florence, but since the 15th century, all talented craftsmen were completely dependent on the Medici court. Michelangelo was a supporter of the Republicans and opposed the tyranny of the Medici, while fulfilling multiple orders of the family. Fearing the ducal wrath, the sculptor continued to decorate the church of San Lorenzo, the Laurenziano library and the new sacristy.

After the defeat of the Republicans, Michelangelo hid from his masters in the sacristy under the chapel of San Lorenzo and stayed there until the Pope forgave his rebellion. After these events, in 1534 the master moved to Rome without completing the design of the Medici Chapel. Work on the tomb of Lorenzo the Magnificent was continued by Vasari, and the sculptures of Cosimo and Domiano were completed by the students of Michelangelo. The great Michelangelo himself (1475-1564), a sculptor, poet, painter and engineer, is buried in the marble tomb of San Lorenzo.

A special role in the design of the Basilica of San Lorenzo was played by the genius of sculpture Donatello (1386-1466). Two huge pulpits, each standing on four columns, are decorated with bronze overlays made by the master. The plot for their design was the biblical themes that describe the life of St. Lawrence, the Garden of Gethsemane and the Descent from the Cross. Being an unpretentious man, Donatello did not work for the sake of money, he was content with modest food and did not wear rich outfits.

The funds he earned were freely available to students, and according to contemporaries, “were kept in a basket suspended from the ceiling in the sculptor's workshop.” Combining antiquity and renaissance in his works, Donatello paid great attention to drawing and test castings from wax and clay. Unfortunately, not a single scheme or pattern has survived to this day.

These and other interesting facts about the role of the Medici in the centuries-old history of Renaissance Florence, tourists will learn from competent guides during individual excursions.

Opening hours and ticket prices

The complex of historical buildings in the church of San Lorenzo varies in time of visit and requires a separate purchase of tickets.

Opening hours of the Basilica of San Lorenzo:

Ticket offices close at 16.30.

Ticket price:

Opening hours of the Medici Chapel:

The cost of tickets to the Chapel is 8 euros.

Where is it located and how to get there

The Church of San Lorenzo and the Medici Chapel are located at: Piazza di San Lorenzo, 9, 50123 Firenze FI, Italia.

City bus number 1 delivers tourists to the San Lorenzo stop.

If you travel by car, you can use the underground parking of Florence Santa Maria Novella train station, which is within walking distance of the Basilica.