Medici Chapels Florence

Cappelle Medicee tickets and San Lorenzo Church in Florence

Info and tickets for the Cappelle Medicee in Florence, the final resting place and burial chapels of the famous Medici family.

Visit the famous Medici at their final resting place

The stone façade of the San Lorenzo does not seem to promise much at first sight, but nothing could be further from the truth. At this church you will find the Medici chapels in honor of the Medici family, the banking family who brought Florence on the world map. Previously, the church with its beautiful orange dome served as the parish church of the Florentine bankers. Today the church is the final resting place of several members of the Medici.

Who are the Medici?

To recognize the importance of the San Lorenzo church (St. Lawrence Basilica), you need to know a little more about the Medici. The Medici dynasty begins in 1434 and ends in 1737, when the last Medici dies. The beginning of the Medici power took place in banking, where Giovanni di Bicci de Medici grew the Medicibanks in and outside Florence. Giovanni even made a deal with the Pope so that the Medici managed the Papal Treasury. This increased the power and wealth of the banking family.

Political power in Florence

Much of Giovanni's wealth fell into the hands of Cosimo Il Vecchio, who wanted to expand economic power with political power. In the beginning he failed, which even resulted in an exile. However, the popular support allowed Cosimo to return to Florence in 1434 and take charge of the republic of Florence.

^{The beautiful roof of the Cappelle Medicee}

^{The dome of the Medici chapel behind the San Lorenzo church}

The art

As art aficionados, the Medici family spent their wealth on culturally enhancing the city. The Medici supported art and culture, putting the people of Florence behind them. Cosimo, for example, supported big names such as Donatello, Angelico and Brunelleschi. After Cosimo, Piero came to power for a short while, but after this the power and wealth passed into the hands of Lorenzo and Giuliano. Lorenzo was also an art lover, who supported names like Da Vinci, Botticelli and Michelangelo.

The Medici Chapels

It is no wonder that the final resting place of the Medici family is considered a museum, with many visitors every year. This Cappelle Medicee, located in the Basilica of St. Lawrence, consists of three rooms: the crypt behind the entrance hall, the new sacristy and the Cappella dei Principi. In the new sacristy you will find two tombs made by Michelangelo, namely the tomb of Giuliano and Lorenzo. In the Cappella dei Principi there are empty tombs, as the hall was never finished. The remains of the other Medici members lie under the chapel in the crypt of Buontalenti

Who's buried in the Cappelle Medicee?

The Medici chapels include Lorenzo il Magnifico, Giuliano de 'Medici, Cosimo I de' Medici, Francesco I de 'Medici, Ferdinando I de' Medici, Cosimo II de 'Medici, Ferdinando II de' Medici and Cosimo III de 'Medici. In the old sacristy is Cosimo Il Vecchio buried and artist Donatello. Would you like to visit the chapels? Book your Medici chapel tickets now:

Medici Chapel Tickets

Where is the Capelle Medicee located?