Visit the Medici family’s official church and meet the inventors of Renaissance art.
The Basilica of San Lorenzo stands on the site of the very first cathedral in Florence, which was built in the 4th century. Construction of the church you see today starts in the early 1400s by the father of Renaissance architecture, Filippo Brunelleschi, and was mainly financed by Giovanni di Bicci de’ Medici, founder of the Medici bank and of the dynasty which ruled Florence for 3 centuries.
Giovanni de’ Medici’s tomb is in The Old Sacristy, the first part built by Brunelleschi and the Medicis’ private chapel, and after him all the members of the family, except for a few, were buried in the church and in the Medici Chapels, erected later on, behind the apse.
Brunelleschi’s clean and rational architecture was absolutely revolutionary for his time; the space is perfectly proportioned and gives you a feeling of harmony. Every detail underlines the amazing perspective of the church room and, as a matter of fact, a part from being the genius who managed to build the big red dome on Florence’s new cathedral, Brunelleschi was as well the inventor of the linear perspective.
The great Renaissance sculptor Donatello, immediately picks up these new ideas in his works. He and Brunelleschi were actually very close friends, at least until Donatello started pepping up Brunelleschi’s architecture, in The Old Sacristy, with his very modern and creative decorations….
San Lorenzo is also housing other works by Donatello, including the 2 bronze pulpits, which are considered to be his very last creations, and wonderful artworks by other artists like Andrea del Verrocchio and Filippo Lippi.
In the crypt it is possible to visit Donatello’s tomb and the Treasure of San Lorenzo, containing part of the Medici family’s important collection of reliquaries.
It is possible to extend the visit to the Laurentian Library, designed for the Medici family by Michelangelo for their important collection of manuscripts.
I suggest as well to combine this tour with a visit to the Medici Chapels. You will find more information about this clicking the “Medici Chapels” button on the main page.