Visit to the Medicean Quarter and the Basilica of San Lorenzo
On this guided tour with your AGT guide, you will discover the great personalities of the Medici family, their lives and secrets, with a focus on the lively and colorful Medici quarter. The visit takes place between Palazzo Medici — the splendid residence of Cosimo the Elder and Lorenzo the Magnificent, where the young Michelangelo was also hosted — and the Basilica of San Lorenzo, designed by Brunelleschi.
In this historic district, now enlivened by the San Lorenzo Market, the Medici carried out one of the most extraordinary urban renewal projects in the city. Here, Cosimo the Elder had the convent of San Marco built, which hosted Beato Angelico and Fra’ Girolamo Savonarola. In the San Marco Garden, Lorenzo the Magnificent founded the first art academy in Europe, where Michelangelo Buonarroti began his career.
The construction of the family palace and the reconstruction of the Basilica of San Lorenzo definitively transformed the ancient green area of Cafaggio into the Medici quarter par excellence.
Museum: The Basilica of San Lorenzo
One of the most beautiful churches in Florence, designed in Renaissance style by Filippo Brunelleschi, it is a true treasure trove of artworks. Among them stand out the two bronze pulpits by Donatello. The naves are marked by the rhythmic repetition of Brunelleschi’s modular design, an expression of austere rigor.
All’interno si potranno ammirare la Sagrestia Vecchia, con opere di Donatello e Verrocchio, e diverse tombe medicee. All’esterno si trovano il magnifico chiostro e l’ingresso alla cripta, con le tombe di Donatello e Cosimo il Vecchio, nonché l’ingresso alla Biblioteca Laurenziana, capolavoro architettonico di Michelangelo.
