Cappelle Medicee

Visiting the Medici Chapel was one of the most intense and moving artistic experiences I had in Florence. From the moment I stepped inside, I felt a powerful combination of beauty, silence, and human ambition. This is not just a chapel — it is a statement of power, memory, and eternity. The New Sacristy, designed by Michelangelo, left me speechless. The sculptures of Day and Night, Dawn and Dusk are not just statues — they feel alive, full of tension and emotion. Standing in front of them, I could sense the struggle between time and immortality. The faces, the posture, the unfinished details — everything speaks deeply to the soul if you allow yourself to really look. The architecture and sculpture blend perfectly. Light enters softly, creating shadows that constantly change the mood of the space. I stood there for a long time, almost forgetting where I was, completely absorbed by the balance between human genius and spiritual silence. The contrast with the Chapel of the Princes is striking. Its vast dome, rich marble decorations, and semi-precious stones create an atmosphere of overwhelming grandeur. It feels bold, proud, and almost theatrical — a clear reflection of the Medici family’s desire to be remembered forever. Recommendations for future visitors: Come with time and patience — this place deserves slow observation. Read a little about Michelangelo and the Medici family before your visit. Spend extra time in the New Sacristy; the details reveal themselves gradually. Visit earlier in the day for a calmer experience. Keep silence — the atmosphere is part of the magic. I left the Medici Chapel feeling humbled and deeply impressed. This place doesn’t just display art — it confronts you with questions about power, time, and legacy. If you want to understand the emotional depth behind Florence’s beauty, this is a place you must not miss.

Florence has many exquisite cultural heritage sites. This is one you should not miss, in my opinion. 1. It is less busy than the best known sites. 2. Michaelangelo designed or carved six sculptures in the sacristy. 3. Do you love Florentine intarsia work and want to see some of the finest examples from the Uffizi workshops? This is the place. You will take many photos and none of them will do justice to this place. Its scale is massive and it is deeply historically interesting. For a mere 9 Euros, it is just an excellent stop on your itinerary. You can see this location (excluding the adjoining museum and michaelangelo’s hidden room, which have separate fees) in about two hours.

The Michelangelo secret room was AMAZING! It took us months to find the tickets but it was totally worth it. And our tour guide was great too! A very unique experience we’ve been lucky enough to be part of

A great place to visit. Make sure to arrive right after opening so you can enjoy Michelangelo's sculptures in peace and without crowds.

An impressive place that doesn't take too long to see. The highlight is definitely the main chapel - the paintings, marble, and intricate details showcase amazing craftsmanship. It wasn't too crowded, and we were lucky to get in for free since it was the first weekend of the month.

★★★★★ Medici Chapel is a truly memorable visit. Stark, imposing, and completely unique. The architecture and atmosphere are powerful and austere, yet deeply moving. Unlike anything else in Florence—highly recommended.

The building basically has the cript and the main chappel. The cript is interesting but not very pretty, if you know some history you might enjoy it. There are a few relics in this level as well. The chappel is quite impressive, comoleatly decorated by finely cut marbles and precious stones. It is filled with multicolor and intricately assembled decorations. It is probably one of the most impressive indoor spaces in all of Florence.

Not much here. Crypt was closed. Big chapel with lots of artwork and detail. As you can tell I was getting art-worked out by Florence at this point. But unfair on the chapel as it is a nice place. If you have the Firenze card or live in Florence then definitely visit. If not then you will need to determine if your budget and time needs allow for time here. I did like it so have just upped it to 4 stars, but it all starts to get a bit samesy after a while unless you are a renaissance nut.

It's impossible to visit the city of Florence without learning the Medici family name and being surrounded by their influence, which is still visible within the city centuries after the family was run out of Florence and its last surviving members passed away. With that in mind, it's worth a visit to the Medici Chapels to visit the final resting place of several members of the most powerful families in historic Europe. It's not as large as some of the more famous churches in Europe, but that doesn't make it any less of a gem. Arrive early, because there was a line to get in when I visited (took about 30 minutes to get through) and a line to visit the portion of the chapel designed by Michelangelo. If you happen to be in town on the first Sunday of the month, this is included in the state-run museums you can visit. The historic artifacts, architecture, and priceless works of arts housed here (and yes, you'll see works from Michelangelo) make it well worth the visit.

A church located in the heart of Florence where the body of Lorenzo Medici can be found. Well, you won't see the body, but you get the picture. It's rather on the smaller side in comparison to some of the churches in Europe, but that's OK, because it still has a lot of personality. You need personality right? Staff were a bit on the strange side, and gave us some attitude, but I think that's just a European thing. Enjoy it!

Back in the days of the Renaissance, the Medicis were a prominent banking family that effectively became the de facto rulers of Florence. The San Lorenzo chapel was the family's private chapel and it is also here where the Medici from the two ruling lines are buried. Pope Clement VIII (then Cardinal Giulio de' Medici) wanted to establish a masoleum so he entrusted Michelangelo with this project. Though Michelangelo left for Rome before the project was finished, most people nowadays visit the Medici Chapel for Michelangelo's sculptures. ADMISSION: €8. Though a part of San Lorenzo basilica, it charges a separate admission fee. This site is also included in the Firenze Card. Modest dress required. As you enter you'll be led to the crypt where most of the minor Medici family members were buried. The crypt also contains a portion of the treasury of San Lorenzo featuring wall hangings and reliquaries. The first room that you enter, the New Sacristy, contains the bodies of the elder Medici line (pre-Grand Dukes). There are four people buried here; 2 named Lorenzo and 2 named Giuliano but as it turns out the "lesser" Lorenzo and Giuliano have the more prominent tombs to incorporate the essence of the "greater" pair. Lorenzo the Magnificent and his brother Giuliano are entombed beneath Michelangelo's Madonna and Child and Cosmas and Damian, the two patron saints of the Medici. The other Lorenzo and Giuliano each have their own tombs, with Lorenzo portrayed as a reflective man next to personifications of Dusk and Dawn, while Giuliano portrayed as an active man is next to the personifications of Day and Night. This room will then take you to the Chapel of the Princes. Despite not being actual princes, the six Grand Dukes of the Medici (the younger line) are entombed here. The octagonal room is entirely covered with polychrome marble and semi-precious stones to showcase the wealth of the family and in direct contrast to the more simplistic New Sacristy. The six sarcophagi are contained in niches and two are complemented by bronze statues. The original plan for the dome was to be entirely covered in lapis lazuli but due to the expense it was left incomplete; the frescoes that decorate the dome were added on by the ruling house of Lorraine in the 19th century. The Medicis have influenced Florence so much that it's impossible to not do any major sightseeing in the city and not come across significant work that was not commissioned by the family. If you liked Palazzo Vecchio and Palazzo Pitti (living quarters of the Medicis) you can visit here for more info about this family or if you need to see more Michelangelo pieces you can certainly visit here, but only visit this attraction if you have the time or have already visited the biggies (Duomo complex, Accademia, Uffizi, Palazzo Vecchio/Pitti).

Lorenzo de' Medici is buried here. I had to see this church in person since I am a fan of Da Vinci's Demons. This is one of Florence's many famous churches. Michelangelo designed one of the sculptures here, Sagrestia Nuova. I liked the dome but the actual architecture itself is a bit boring compared to the other buildings in Florence. It's dome is in many of the skyline pictures of Florence. The Medici's were the rulers and most powerful families of Florence during the Renaissance so it was neat to see the chapel dedicated to them.

You can witness the Medici's influence from their art commissions like the Duomo's dome but you can witness the Medici's power only from the Medici Chapels. As a part of San Lorenzo Basilica, the Medici Chapels are the final resting places for many Medicis including the prominent Lorenzo il Magnifico. Perhaps nothing better personifies the Medici's peak power than the super-imposing Hall of Princes, constructed by Cosimo I when he earned the Grand Duke of Tuscany title for the family. The authoritative Hall is so massive that a dot on the six-dot Medici emblem on the wall can probably kill you if it fell! While you are awed by the grand scale of this hall that commemorated the Medici ancestors, be sure to look up at the beautiful colorful dome fresco that is especially vibrant in the dark hall. However, the headliner is actually the smaller and older "New Sacristy" in the back - Designed by Michelangelo! Like Basilica di Santa Croce, the New Sacristy displays a bright optimistic celebration to the existence of the greats despite being a mini-mausoleum. Take a moment to admire Michelangelo's beautiful sculptures that represents various stages of the day: Dawn and Dusk, Day and Night. Unfortunately, Michelangelo did not complete this project and ironically, the most important tomb - the one of Lorenzo il Magnifico - was especially bare compared to the ones of his lesser peers. Anyway, despite being located in central Florence, Medici Chapels is relatively a "hidden gem" as not many people go, but I think this is a must-go destination! Only here can you truly feel the power of the Medicis and see so many of Michelangelo's intimate works. --- LOGISTICS -Medici Chapels' entrance is behind the basilica -Admission is separate from the basilica's -Firenze Card works here -All must go through airport security --- tl;dr version: 1) Best example of Renaissance tomb that displays Medici's power 2) Get personal with Michelangelo's magnificent sculptures

Cappelle Medicee "Medici Chapels" are the two chapels located in the Basilica of San Lorenzo that hold the personal tombs of Florence's great ruling Medici family. These chapels are the most grandest and recognized structures of San Lorenzo and date back to the 16th and 17th century. The chapels are divided into three separate sections: the crypt, the Sagrestia Nuova "New Sacristy", and the Cappella dei Principi "Chapel of the Princes". Minor members of the Medici family are buried in the crypt. The statues in the smaller chapel, Sagrestia Nuova "New Sacristy", were designed and carved by Michelangelo from 1520 to 1534. In 1534 Michelangelo fell out of favor with Alessandro Medici, Duke of Florence. Fearing for his life, Michelangelo fled to Rome, leaving his assistants to complete the Sagrestia Nuova. The Medici family had initially planned for four tombs to be built in Sagrestia Nuova, but the chapel only houses two large tombs for Lorenzo di Piero, Duke of Urbino and Giuliano di Lorenzo, Duke of Nemours. Their more famous predecessors, Lorenzo the Magnificent and his brother, Giuliano, are buried beneath the altar at the entrance wall. The second and larger chapel, Cappella dei Principi "Chapel of the Princes", was built in the 17th century. The dome was designed by Buontalenti and construction begun in 1604, but was not completed until the 20th century. Six grand dukes from the Medici family are buried in this chapel. The interior of the chapel is covered in precious stones, marble, and bronze statues. It took three centuries to cover the walls with stones due to the difficulties working with the stones and the high cost of the extravagant materials. The cupola should have been covered in deep blue semi-precious stones, but it was too costly so instead the cupola was frescoed by Pietro Benvenuti with scenes from the Old and New Testaments at the command of the reigning house of Lorraine.

This place has many amazing treasures of the Medicee family. If you look closely, many of the treasures actually had a piece of bone or hair in it... I'm guessing these parts belong to the Medicee family. It is really beautiful, yet creepy at the same time. I loved the Medicee family tree, I took a picture of it and analyzed the names so I could match it to the faces. I definitely had to visit to see Michelangelo's "night & day" and "dawn & dusk" that I kept reading about. This is a must see with my own two eyes! What a beauty. The old sacristy is under repair because some stone fell .. years ago. If you have time, definitely stop by here. It is part of the San Lorenzo basilica, but it requires separate entrance fees. It took me about 40-45 minutes to finish. I spent more time analyzing Michelangelo's work.

This Monument of Medici contains wonderful Michelangelo's allegorical statues. The building itself is stunning. Much construction/restoration work was underway so I had to opt out of visiting inside. The Medici Chapels are at the back of the Basilica di San Lorenzo and are a separate attraction from the church both require a separate admission fees.

It has been under restoration since 1999 and probably will be so for a long time further. Admire the the ceiling of the dome (fully visible), than head to Michelangelo's sacristy for his masterpiece tombs containing the world-renowned sculptures of Dawn, Dusk, Day and Night. Those are the true reasons to visit, as is the architecture of the room they are located in, simple yet perfectly proportioned. The bottom floor contains a nice collection of reliquaries and other religious decorative objects (most baroque) though they pale in comparison to those in the silver museum of the Pitti Palace.

I visited the Medici Chapels a couple of years ago - tried to visit again this past summer but couldn't find the entrance :$ Admission was supposed to be included with the Firenze Card but we were told otherwise when we arrived. In any event, when I did visit, I was blown away. Every room is incredibly ornate with so many details everywhere you look. The story of the Medicis is fascinating, and a visit to the chapels is a must in Florence.

Beautiful place that truly brings the Medici family to life. Would have been five stars had I not interacted with the staff. Unlike everywhere else in Florence, they seemed bothered by the presence of tourists. One particular member in the upstairs chapel was a bit overzealous in her role and should consider a new occupation with less human interaction. Don't let this stop you from going but should you find yourself confronted with a pseudo security guard who doesn't like the sound of a trotting three year old, tell her to shut up for me!

While in Florence we had purchased the Firenze card as it was a great savings and included all the place we had wanted to visit and more. The Medici Chapel fell under the more. This wasn't something topping my Florence itinerary but we had some time so we took at stop inside. It was a nice treat and quite beautiful. The Michelangelo's sculptures were incredible and it was so nice to see one of this many masterpieces without crowds of people. Not sure how much it costs to enter the chapel but I would say it was definitely a nice bonus to the Firenze card.

Nice staff who arranged for me to use elevator. Beautiful Michelangelo cravings in tombs of night and day, dawn and sunset then over the top marble and precious stone marquetry in a chapel the size of a church built by Cosmo Medicee ( the man) for his destiny.

Really cool place. Also one of the most fascinating places of historical significance in all of Europe.

Loved this spot. Stopped in for a quick bite... Pizza, tiramisu and a glass of chianti- everything was delicious.

I was visiting Florence with students (something I do quite regularly) and we needed to find a place that was open for a rather early dinner and accidently found this jewel. Not only were their classic Tuscan soups delicious, charming atmosphere, and very reasonable priced, but the staff was amazingly nice. Their English was excellent and they even offered to fill my students water bottles with flat or sparkling water as we headed out! THEN, when I accidently left my cell phone there charging, they tracked me down (by called the last numbers used in it) and curried it to me in Rome where it arrived 2 days later - truly beyond any expectation I could have imagined. Thank you Vilma!