We are in the fifteenth century, in Florence, the rich families of bankers and merchants are competing for power, prestige and money. Among these, names such as Strozzi, Albizi, Tornabuoni and Pitti stand out, but without doubt it was the Medici family that became one of the most powerful and richest in Europe. Thanks to the Medici bank, with branches throughout Europe, they became among the most powerful and wealthy in Europe.
In their rise to power, they held the titles of dukes, grand dukes, popes, and even two queens on the French throne. We will get to know them through their homes, works and the artists who created works for them.
Over the centuries their residences would change with them following the needs of an increasingly powerful family, from the first Medici palace in the San Lorenzo district to the mighty Pitti palace in the part of the city beyond the Arno river. For them worked the best artists such as Michelangelo, Donatello, Brunelleschi, Vasari, Botticelli, of which we can still admire the works in the museums in the historic center of the city.
Palazzo Medici Riccardi, a A double name for a palace where Cosimo the Elder and Lorenzo the Magnificent lived, later purchased by the Riccardi. The Medici chose to build their stately Florentine residence near the ancient church of San Lorenzo, once the city's cathedral and since then the official church of the Medici family.
The rustic appearance of the mighty stones actually conceals the elegance of the decorations that echo classical art. At the time of the Medici family, the rooms were a treasure trove of some of the most important and valuable works of art, such as the famous David by Donatello, and the still visible magnificent Medici Chapel, secret and precious as a treasure set in the mighty palace, once a private space of devotion.
Completely frescoed by Beato Angelico's pupil, Benozzo Gozzoli, you are completely enveloped by the fairy-tale atmosphere of the sumptuous procession with the portraits of the Medici family, once again a protagonist of the political, cultural and economic scene. The Medici loved to surround themselves with artists, poets and philosophers, many of whom were lucky enough to have their admiration and protection. Donatello was their trusted sculptor, as was Botticelli, an artist and friend of the family, and that little boy named Michelangelo, when, discovered for his talent by the Magnifico while he was sculpting a faun, he was brought up with Lorenzo's children surrounded by culture and the rich art collections proudly kept in the rooms of the palace. Having become dukes, Cosimo I chose as their new residence the place that best represented their position of power, Palazzo della Signoria . To him we owe the great Salone dei Cinquecento and the splendid decorations.
But it was Eleonora, his wife, who wanted for herself and her family the healthier air of Florence on the other side of the Arno, where they could enjoy walks in the green of the Boboli Gardens and the sumptuous Pitti Palace, a prestigious residence like the richest courts in Europe. Here died the last descendant, who, far-sighted, left the entire inheritance to the city of Florence.
She was buried with her ancestors in the Medici Chapels, where Michelangelo, sculptor and architect in the Sacrestia Nuova, created the famous tombs for them. With this private mausoleum the Medici wanted to make eternal the name and prestige of the family.
Entrances: Palazzo Medici Riccardi (closed on Wednesdays) and/or Palazzo Vecchio (closed on Thursdays)
Some suggestions to enrich your visit
Basilica of San Lorenzo - Medici Chapels - Walk among the monuments - Boboli Gardens
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