Medici Chapels Tickets and Information
- Medici Chapels Address: 6,Piazza di Madonna degli Aldobrandini, 50123, Florence
- Opening Hours: Tuesday: CLOSED | All Other Days: 08:15 - 18:50
Are The Medici Chapels Worth Visiting
- If they are associated with the Medici family, they are worth visiting!
What You See At Medici Chapels
- Two chapels in the Basilica of San Lorenzo
- Home to the mausoleum which is the final resting place to 49 members of the Medici family.
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About Medici Chapels
The Medici Chapels are a great place to explore for fans of art, history, and architecture. The chapels are in the 'Basilica of San Lorenzo', and are the final resting place for 49 members of the influential Medici family, who played a vital role in the cultural and political history of Renaissance Florence.
The site consists of two main parts:
- New Sacristy (Sagrestia Nuova), which was designed by Michelangelo
- Chapel of the Princes (Cappella dei Principi), a grand space filled with opulent marble and semi-precious stones.
History of the Medici Chapels
The chapels were commissioned by the powerful Medici family in the 16th century, and were designed to act as the family mausoleum, which reflected the family wealth and influence.
Michelangelo was hired in 1520 to design the 'New Sacristy', which is where the tombs of 'Lorenzo the Magnificent' and his brother Giuliano are. The Chapel of the Princes was started in the 17th century, and was constructed over several centuries with contributions from many artists, becoming a symbol of the family's lasting power.
- New Sacristy: Michelangelo’s sculptures cover the tombs of Lorenzo and Giuliano, and include famous works like the allegorical figures of 'Day and Night' and 'Dawn and Dusk'.
- Chapel of the Princes: This part of the chapels is an example of Baroque grandeur, with its octagonal dome, large marble walls, and intricate inlay work of semi-precious stones like lapis lazuli, amethyst, and carnelian. The tombs are less personal than those in the New Sacristy, but are built to symbolise the Medici family’s political dominance.
- Crypt: Beneath the chapels is a crypt which contains the more modest graves of other Medici family members, including the last of the line, Anna Maria Luisa de’ Medici, who died in the Pitti Palace in February 1743. It was her foresight that preserved Florence’s artistic heritage.