San Lorenzo: The District Of The Medici Famiglia

The Medici’s were one of the most influential & wealthy Italian families of the Renaissance age.  They were the bankers of Firenze.  The Medici family, also known as the House of Medici, first attained wealth & political power in the 13th century through its success in commerce and banking. Beginning in 1434 Florence became the heart of the Renaissance with the rise of Cosimo de’ Medici, & the family’s support of the arts & humanities.  While the family line died out in the 1700s, over 400 years the Medici’s were a powerhouse, produced four popes and mixed with the elite royal European families.

Your private guided tour of the San Lorenzo district starts with San Lorenzo, the Medici’s parish church. The white and grey cruciform interior, built by none other than Brunelleschi himself, is one of the earliest and most harmonious Renaissance buildings, housing important works of art by Filippo Lippi, Donatello, Antonio del Pollaiolo and Verrocchio and the famous Old Sacristy.

Your tour will continue with a visit to the Medici Chapels, two incredible jewels of the Italian architecture and art. The Cappella dei Principi (Chapel of the Princes) built in the 17C, is a high octagon entirely lined with colored marbles and semiprecious stones, a tour de force of craftsmanship in hard stones.