The Medici Chapels and the San Lorenzo Basilica

The Medici Chapels and the Basilica of San Lorenzo, in Florence

The Basilica of San Lorenzo and the Medici Chapels form the sanctuary and the tomb of the family that reigned over Florence. The Florence audio-guided tour stops here, with respect, to evoke this history-laden place, where Michelangelo left his mark.

The church and the pantheon of the Medici family

It is impossible to visit Florence without evoking the famous Medici family, which reigned over the town for centuries and made it a home of art and power. The Basilica of San Lorenzo was their church, their family parish, whose design was entrusted to the great Brunelleschi; its exterior façade remained unfinished, in the state of rough stone, but the interior deploys all the elegance of the Renaissance. Adjoining the basilica, the Medici Chapels shelter the burials of the family. There you discover the sumptuous Chapel of the Princes, a vast mausoleum lined with precious marbles and hard stones, and above all the New Sacristy, designed by Michelangelo himself: there he made the tombs of several Medici, adorned with his famous allegorical sculptures of Day, Night, Dawn and Dusk, among the masterpieces of sculpture. A sanctuary, a pantheon and a jewel of art, the Basilica of San Lorenzo and the Medici Chapels are discovered with respect.

What to see

You admire, with respect, the Basilica of San Lorenzo, the family church of the Medici designed by Brunelleschi with a façade that remained rough, and the Medici Chapels sheltering their burials: the sumptuous Chapel of the Princes lined with precious marbles and the New Sacristy of Michelangelo, adorned with his allegorical sculptures of Day, Night, Dawn and Dusk. The Basilica of San Lorenzo is the pantheon of the Medici in Florence. It is a major stop to be discovered with respect.

Practical information

The Basilica of San Lorenzo and the Medici Chapels lie in the heart of Florence, reachable on foot. Places of worship and memory, they can be visited with respect; the basilica and the Medici Chapels follow their own hours and conditions, which vary. It is best to check them before coming.

What do the Medici Chapels shelter in Florence?

The burials of the Medici family, including the sumptuous Chapel of the Princes, a mausoleum lined with precious marbles, and the New Sacristy designed by Michelangelo, who made there the tombs adorned with his famous sculptures of Day, Night, Dawn and Dusk.

Where are the Basilica of San Lorenzo and the Medici Chapels?

In the heart of Florence, in Italy.