Medici Chapels: Michelangelo's Legacy in the Heart of Florence

Medici Chapels: Michelangelo's legacy in the heart of renaissance Florence

In a wing of the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Florence is the place where, from the fifteenth century onwards, the Medici family placed the tombs of its most important members. In fact, Lorenzo the Magnificent, Cosimo I, Giuliano, but also the last of the Medici, Gian Gastone, who died in 1737 and with whom the dynasty became extinct, rest here. Today these rooms are an incredibly fascinating museum, not only for their historical value, but also for their architectural and artistic value. In any case, they are an unmissable stop for those visiting Florence and a special opportunity to learn more about the history of the family that made such a special contribution to making this city the true cradle of art.

The Medici Chapels are divided into three main rooms, plus the so-called Secret Room of Michelangelo.

The area known as the New Sacristy is one of the architectural jewels of the Renaissance, designed by Michelangelo and built over the course of ten years. Here are the funerary monuments of Lorenzo the Magnificent and his brother Giuliano and some of Michelangelo's most admired sculptures, such as the allegories of Night and Day and those of Twilight and Dawn. Below is Michelangelo's Secret Room, with some sketches an drawings, which can only be visited by reservation.

The second room is the Cappella dei Principi, with the vault frescoed a few centuries later by Pietro Benvenuti and the sumptuous decorations of marble and semiprecious stones created by the Opificio delle Pietre Dure in Florence, inaugurated specifically for this purpose, and still existing. Just below the Chapel is the crypt designed by Buontalenti, where the visit actually begins. In this space, which also hosts temporary exhibitions, there are the ticket office and the bookshop.d drawings, which can only be visited by reservation.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Medici Chapels

1. What's inside the Medici Chapels?
The Medici Chapels include three rooms: a crypt on the lower level, and on the upper level the New Sacristy and the Chapel of the Princes. All the rooms house the tombs of the Medici family, as well as various works of art from different eras. The most famous of all are Michelangelo's sculptures in the New Sacristy.

2. How long does it take to visit the Medici Chapels?
The time to dedicate to the visit is at least an hour and a half.

3. Who painted the Medici Chapels?
The dome of the room known as the Chapel of the Princes is a 19th-century work by Pietro Benvenuti

4. Where is Michelangelo's secret room?
Inside the Medici Chapels, below the New Sacristy, there is the small room known as Michelangelo's secret room. The Room is not always open to visits and accessible to groups of four people for conservation reasons.