About this experience
“And so, here will be our end, and all the Grand Dukes of our dynasty will be buried here!” – this is how the history of the construction of the Medici Chapels began, which lasted with long breaks from the early 17th century until the 1960s. On this individual tour, we will visit the magnificent burial places of the family members, and I will tell you the story of the famous dynasty, its outstanding personalities, their immense influence, and astonishing legacy.
“Here will be our end” – solemnly said Ferdinand I de Medici, tiredly and thoughtfully looking at his son, the little Prince Cozimo, for this day they tailored a new velvet doublet and velvet knee breeches with satin stripes, and even gave the little sabre in its gilded scabbard, for it was him, the nine-year-old lad, who laid the foundation of a new chapel for the burials of the ruling dynasty, poking the earth with a gilded spade and pouring it into the gilded wheelbarrow.
What to Expect
During the tour, you will explore three buildings that are part of a complex called Cappelle Medicee, or the Medici Chapels:
- The Crypt, where the remains of notable members of the ruling dynasty are interred.
- The Medici Mausoleum, glorifying the dynasty. I will explain how the grand chapel was built and what message its appearance sought to convey to posterity. You will see remarkable “stone pictures”, eternal and unfading through the ages, made of semi-precious hard stone, Medici relics collected from around the world, and 19th-century frescoes.
- The New Sacristy by Michelangelo Buonarroti, which he built and adorned with statues by order of Pope Leo X to bury his great father – Lorenzo the Magnificent. In the New Sacristy, I will tell you about the symbolism of Michelangelo’s masterpieces – sensual Night, awakening Aurora, mighty Day and weary Dusk, and the statues crowning them of the two great military leaders of the dynasty – Lorenzo and Giuliano.
We will also visit the Church of San Lorenzo and its old sacristy, where the founder of the dynasty is buried, and if possible, the Medici Library, built with the design and involvement of Michelangelo Buonarroti.
Organizational Details
The entrance fee to the museum is 8 euros per person, free for children under 18 years old.
