Medici Chapels
Medici Chapels features on the Gingerguide audio walk through Florence. Give it roughly ~60 min: enough to look, hear a two to three minute story on the spot, and ask the AI guide whatever the story leaves open.
- Type historic
- Suggested visit ~60 min
- Florence Florence guide
About Medici Chapels
Michelangelo's New Sacristy, containing his allegorical figures of Night, Day, Dusk, and Dawn on the Medici tombs, among the most powerful sculptures ever created.
The Medici Chapels are attached to the Basilica of San Lorenzo and comprise two distinct spaces: the Chapel of the Princes (Cappella dei Principi), a magnificent octagonal baroque mausoleum begun in 1604 and never fully completed, its walls encrusted with precious stones and coloured marble; and Michelangelo's New Sacristy (Sagrestia Nuova), the architect-sculptor's first and greatest architectural commission.
Michelangelo worked on the New Sacristy between 1520 and 1534, designing both the architecture, based on Brunelleschi's Old Sacristy but with greater sculptural energy, and the marble tombs. The tomb of Giuliano de' Medici shows the Duke in Roman armour above two reclining figures: Day, a muscular figure turning away, and Night, a woman in troubled sleep. The tomb of Lorenzo shows the Capitano in thought above Dusk, a man fading into unconsciousness, and Dawn, a woman awakening reluctantly from sleep.
Did you know? Michelangelo left Florence permanently in 1534, never returning, he left the New Sacristy unfinished, with several planned tombs and sculptures never completed.
How long is a visit to Medici Chapels?
Set aside roughly ~60 min for Medici Chapels. That covers a good look and the narrated story, and because you set the pace you can always stay on.
Is Medici Chapels worth your time?
Medici Chapels is among the 42 narrated highlights the Gingerguide team chose for Florence, so it is worth a look. Hear the story for the context, then ask the AI guide for anything more.
Nearby stops in Florence
Hear the story of Medici Chapels
Preview the Florence tour free in the Gingerguide app.