Medici tombs. Church of San Lorenzo in Florence

Florence, like almost any Italian city, literally flooded with sights, historical monuments, all sorts of priceless artifacts, which we mentioned a little in. Among all this abundance, there are places that simply cannot be missed, and one of such places is the Medici Chapel. It is part of memorial complex at the Church of San Lorenzo.

Strictly speaking, the chapel consists of three parts - a crypt with the burial of 49 not-so-famous Medici; The Chapel of the Princes, where the ashes of much more famous representatives kind; and the New Sacristy (Sagrestia Nuova).

It was on the design of the latter that the great Michelangelo Buonarroti worked, and, despite the very dramatic history of the project’s implementation, it was here that the great Master’s talent reflected many of its facets. Actually, it is the New Sacristy that is most often meant when people talk about the Medici Chapel.

How to get there, operating hours

The main landmark for tourists wishing to visit the Medici Chapel in Florence is the Church of San Lorenzo itself. It is located at Piazza di San Lorenzo, 9.

The Medici Chapel is part of the San Lorenzo complex

The attraction is very significant, it is present in all possible guidebooks, so finding it will not be a problem. The C1 bus route runs near the church. The stop is called “San Lorenzo”. You can also get off at the next stop – Cappelle Medicee.

The Medici Chapel is open to the public every day from 8:15 to 18:00. Regular weekends are every even Sunday and every odd Monday of the month. The chapel is also closed on the biggest holidays - January 1 ( New Year), December 25 (Christmas) and May 1.

Tickets for the Medici Chapel and the Laurentian Library (another Michelangelo project on the territory of the San Lorenzo complex) are purchased separately. The ticket office is open until 16:20. Children under six years old have free admission.

The Medici Chapel in Florence is a very popular place, so it would be a good idea to book your tickets online in advance.

While far from being the only picturesque tomb in Florence, the Medici Chapel is strikingly different from other similar objects. Michelangelo put all his talent into creating an atmosphere of deep tragedy and sorrow in the chapel - everything here is dedicated to the theme of death.

Even the nature of natural light is very symbolic. At the very bottom, where the sarcophagi with the deceased are located, it is darkest. The higher, the more light from the outside gets inside the building. This symbolizes the immortality of the soul and its transition to the kingdom of light after the end of a person’s earthly life.

Above the tombs of Lorenzo the Magnificent and his brother Giuliano you can see Michelangelo's Madonna and Child and sculptures of Saints Cosmas and Domian

The central object in the Medici Chapel is the altar. But he is not the one who represents greatest interest from an artistic and aesthetic point of view.

On the right and left sides of the altar are the tombs of the Dukes Giuliano of Nemours and Lorenzo of Urbino. Directly opposite the altar, on the opposite wall in a protruding plinth, rest the ashes of two more Medicis - Lorenzo the Magnificent and his sibling Giuliano.

These two representatives of a powerful family were at one time much more significant figures than their namesakes, buried “next door.” But their sarcophagi are decorated much more modestly - three statues by Michelangelo are installed on the crypt - Saints Cosmas and Damian, and the Madonna and Child. The latter is perhaps the only sculpture in the chapel that is devoid of tragedy, but is filled with a lyrical reflection of the closeness of mother and child.

Lorenzo the Magnificent was a prominent statesman of the Florentine Republic and its leader during the Renaissance. Many people naturally wonder why the tomb of him and his brother was given such a minimalist design by Michelangelo.

The answer is actually very simple. Lorenzo of Urbino and Giuliano of Nemours were the first of the Medici family to receive ducal titles. In those feudal times, this circumstance was much more important than the real historical role this or that person.

Allegorical figures “Morning” (female) and “Evening” (male) adorn the tombstone of Lorenzo of Urbino

The sarcophagi of Dukes Lorenzo and Giuliano de' Medici are decorated with sculptures that were brought more fame the already famous Michelangelo at that time. These are the so-called “Days”. The sculptures “Morning” and “Evening” are installed on the tomb of Lorenzo of Urbino, and “Day” and “Night” are installed on the sarcophagus of Giuliano of Nemours.

Even during Michelangelo’s lifetime, the sculpture “Night” made an indelible impression on the creator’s contemporaries with its deep tragedy. The figure creates exactly the same mood now, as evidenced by numerous reviews from visitors to the Medici Chapel.

The figures “Day” (male) and “Night” (female) were installed by Michelangelo over the tomb of Giuliano of Nemours

Everything described is only the most notable creations of Michelangelo, created while working on interior decoration chapels. Awareness of the real greatness of this work of art comes as one becomes familiar with the very history of the creation of the Medici Chapel.

History of creation

Initially, the plans of Pope Leo X (Giovanni Medici) regarding the renovation of the Florentine Church of San Lorenzo were completely different.

The Pope wanted to create a new facade for the family temple of the Medici family and invited Michelangelo to complete this large-scale task. The goal was to embody in the new façade the full power of the talent of the best Italian artists and thus testify to the power of the Medici family.

Michelangelo arrived in Florence and began work in 1514. However, the first time that the sculptor spent in the marble quarries turned out to be wasted. Pope Leo X was “famous” for his extravagance, and there simply wasn’t enough money to build a grandiose façade. After my dad's death, the project was hopelessly frozen.

The façade of the Basilica of San Lorenzo remains unfinished to this day.

However, the name of Michelangelo was already so famous at that time that the Medici family decided at all costs to resume cooperation with the ambitious sculptor. Thus, on the initiative of Cardinal Giulio Medici, the idea was born to complete the construction of a new chapel on the territory of the Church of San Lorenzo (the New Sacristy was built to the height of the cornice at the end of the 15th century).

Concept and projects

The placement of the tombs of Dukes Lorenzo and Giuliano in the future Medici Chapel in Florence was originally planned. Michelangelo planned to install them in the very center of the chapel, but later the artist nevertheless leaned towards a more traditional, side-wall scheme for placing the monuments. According to his plan, the tombstones were to be decorated with symbolic sculptures, and the lunettes above them were to be painted with frescoes.

The sculptures of Lorenzo and Giuliano were designed as symbolic - they did not reflect the appearance of their real prototypes. This was the condition of the artist, who was known for his not entirely understandable negative attitude towards portraits and other forms of embodiment in art of accurate images of real people.

Therefore, the faces of the figures appeared to be an idealized generalization. The allegorical figures of the passage of the day were supposed to be a hint of the fleeting life of the dukes.

The sculptures of the Medici Dukes do not convey the real appearance of their prototypes

The project also assumed that there would be figures of river gods on the floor near the tombstones; it was planned to place armor, garlands and four figures of crouching boys above the tombstones. But, due to a number of circumstances, not everything that was planned was realized.

Conflict with the Medici

Michelangelo began work on the interior decoration of the Medici Chapel when he was 45 years old. The grandeur of the plan did not frighten him at all. Although the master was, at that time, quite old, he began to implement the project with all zeal. As if he knew that the time of his life had barely passed half (the artist died in a very old age– 88 years old).

Work on the main design elements of the Medici Chapel lasted almost 15 years. During all this time, the original plan had to be adjusted several times, which greatly irritated Michelangelo, and, ultimately, he was not happy with the result.

At the same time, his relationship with the Medici family rapidly deteriorated. Ultimately, in 1527, the republican-minded part of the Florentines rebelled against the Medici, and the latter had to flee. In this confrontation, Michelangelo was on the side of the rebels.

Florence did not remain under the leadership of the provisional government for long. The combined armies of Emperor Charles and the Pope laid siege to the city. Michelangelo was appointed head of all fortifications.

The figure of Saint Cosmas was completed by Michelangelo's assistant Giovanni Montorsoli

Photos by: Sailko, Rufus46, Rabe!, Yannick Carer

The Medici Chapel in Florence is located on the territory of the Church of San Lorenzo and is considered one of the most beautiful and sad places in the city. Thanks to the great masters of the Renaissance, the luxury of earthly existence of the Medici clan was embodied in their decoration last resort. Crypts and tombstones made by famous Renaissance masters remind of the perishability of earthly existence and the eternity of the universe.

The Church of San Lorenzo, founded in 393 by Saint Ambrose, was reconstructed in the 11th century, after which it acquired the appearance of a rectangular basilica with columns of different sizes at the base. Architect Filippo Bruneleschi, commissioned by Cosimo the Elder de' Medici, added a building in the shape of a hemispherical dome to the medieval church in the 15th century and covered it with red tiles.

The long rectangular room of the Basilica of San Lorenzo ends in a bifurcation, on the left side of which is the old sacristy (sacristy) and the transition to the Laurenziano Library building, on the right side is the Medici Chapel, and at the end rises the Chapel of the Princes. The rough cladding of the church's exterior contrasts with its magnificent interior decoration.

Interior decoration

The Church of San Lorenzo is the tomb of many prominent Florentine painters, historians and political figures. For the most famous personalities, sarcophagi are installed on the marble floor and on the upper tiers of the walls. The basilica's pillars are topped by Gothic ceiling vaults made of gray stone. In the huge vertical niches there are canvases by the great Florentine painters Pietro Marchesini “St. Matthew” 1723, “The Crucifixion” 1700 Francesco Conti, “The Crucifixion and the Two Mourners” by Lorenzo Lippi.

Part of the wall is decorated with a huge fresco depicting the Great Martyr St. Lawrence by the artist Bronzino, and on the dais is installed musical organ. Through the bronze lattice, under the altar of the church, one can see the burial place of Cosimo the Elder Medici, which was arranged by the townspeople themselves, expressing deep gratitude and appreciation to the philanthropist and ruler of Florence.

In the center of the hall, on high supports, there are two sarcophagus-like lecterns. They are decorated with bronze reliefs depicting scenes from the life of Christ. This last works Donatello - a unique bronze casting master, the founder of a sculptural portrait and a round statue, who spent time in Florence last years of his life and rests under a marble slab in the Church of San Lorenzo.

Old sacristy

The sacristy (sacristy) serves to store church supplies and prepare priests for divine services, but in the Basilica of San Lorenzo it has a different purpose. The old sacristy turned into the crypt of the founder of the Medici family, Giovanni di Bicci. Designed by the architect Filippo Brunneleschi, the tomb is a perfect square room, the architecture of which is dominated by strict geometric lines.

Being influenced by ancient masters, Brunneleschi uses columns and pilasters characteristic of Roman architecture in the interior. The walls are decorated with overlays made of gray-green marble, which, in combination with beige plaster, emphasize the regular shape of the sacristy. A corridor under gloomy arches leads to the lower burial chambers and to the tomb of Medici Cosimo the Elder. The walls of the crypt are decorated with red altar velvet with patterns of silver ornate plates.

Bronze busts of the resting Medici and precious church utensils are placed everywhere. Of particular note are the silver processional cross from 877, the reliquary of the departed Saints from 1715, the golden tabernacle of Lorenzo Dolci from 1787. There is also an archbishop’s shrine from 1622 and vessels with holy relics. The wooden doors of the crypt are skillfully decorated with carvings.

New sacristy

The New Sacristy, or Chapel, was designed and recreated by the architect Michelangelo, commissioned by Giulio de' Medici of Pope Clement VII in 1520. The room was intended for the burials of the great Tuscan dukes from the Medici family. Michelangelo was in quite a state at that time. difficult situation, being on the one hand a supporter of the Republicans, who waged a fierce fight against the Medici, on the other hand, he was a court sculptor working for his enemies.

The master built a temple and a crypt for the family, which, if they won, could severely punish their architect. The road to the Medici Chapel leads through the entire Basilica of San Lorenzo and turns right, where going down the steps you can get into the room with the tombs.

Sarcophagus of the Duke of Neymours

The muted colors of the room and thin rays of light breaking through a small window in the ceiling create a feeling of sadness and peace in the family tomb. In one of the niches on the wall there is marble sculpture Giuliano Duke of Neymour, youngest son of Lorenzo de' Medici. Figure young man sitting on a throne, dressed in the armor of a Roman warrior, and his head thoughtfully turned to the side. On either side of the sarcophagus lie majestic sculptures that represent day and night by Michelangelo.

Sarcophagus of the Duke of Urbino

On the opposite side of the wall, opposite Giuliano's coffin, is a sculpture of Lorenzo, Duke of Urbino, grandson of Lorenzo de' Medici. The Duke of Urbino Lorenzo is represented in the image of an ancient Greek warrior, sitting in armor above his tomb, and at his feet there are majestic sculptures recreating morning and evening.

Sarcophagi of the brothers Lorenzo the Magnificent and Giuliano

The third burial of the Chapel is the graves of Lorenzo the Magnificent and his 25-year-old brother Giuliano, who died at the hands of the conspirators in 1478. The tombstone is made in the form of a long tabletop, on which are installed the marble statues “Madonna and Child” by Michelangelo, “Saint Cosmas” by Angelo di Montorsoli and “Saint Domian” by Raphael di Montelupo. The entire composition of the Chapel is united by the rapidly running moments of life and the endless passage of time.

Chapel of the Princes

The entrance to the Chapel of the Princes is possible from Piazza del Madonna del Brandini, which is located on the opposite side of the Church of San Lorenzo. This luxurious room contains six burial places of the hereditary Grand Dukes of Tuscany. The Hall of the Princes was designed by Mateo Nigetti in 1604, and decorated by Florentine artisans from the Pietra dura workshop, owned by the Medici family.

Various types of marble and semiprecious stones. Thin stone plates were selected according to the ornament and tightly fastened at the joints. Mounted sarcophagi decorated family coats of arms Medici. The dukes were moneylenders and the founders of the extensive banking system of Western Europe.

On their coat of arms there are six balls, which were considered to be the interest rate on loans issued. The mosaic tiles at the bottom of the wall represent the coats of arms of Tuscan cities. There are only two sculptures installed in the recesses - these are Dukes Ferdinand I and Cosimo II. Due to the fact that the Chapel was not completely completed, other niches remained empty.

What else to see

The most valuable collection of books and ancient manuscripts is in the Laurenziano Library. The library building and the magnificent gray staircase leading to it are the work of Michelangelo. The collection of manuscript collections began with Cosimo the Elder Medici and was continued by Lorenzo I Medici, after whom the literary repository was named. To get to the library you need to cross the well-kept churchyard.

Excursions

The reign of the Medici Dukes lasted about 300 years and ended in mid-18th century century. The Medici skillfully used art and architecture to demonstrate their wealth and power. Court sculptors, architects and artists received orders to build palaces and produce paintings. At the beginning of the 15th century, several Medici families chose the Church of San Lorenzo as a burial place for members of their family.

Each branch of the dynasty paid for the construction and reconstruction of a specific area in the basilica. Some of the clan were honored to be in the Chapel of the Princes, while others rest in the niches of the crypt. All the subtleties and interweavings in the biography of the most famous Tuscan family will be explained to travelers by competent guides who have extensive experience in conducting excursions in Florence and are fluent in historical material.

Mysteries of the Medici Chapel

The Medici clan of Dukes created the history of Florence from the 15th to the 18th centuries. Their family members included popes and two queens of France. The Medici were not only influential rulers, but also patrons of the arts who patronized the great creators of the Renaissance. Possessing enormous power and untold wealth, the Medici Dukes, according to historical evidence, first tried to buy, but having been refused, they made several attempts to steal the Holy Sepulcher from Jerusalem in order to place it in the middle of the Chapel of the Princes.

Who is buried in the Chapel of the Princes of the Basilica of San Lorenzo? What precious stones decorated octagonal tomb of the Dukes? Who owned the jewelry and granite workshops of Florence and how were they used? How mosaic surfaces were connected to each other various breeds and why are the connecting seams not visible on the wall cladding? Curious tourists will get answers to these and many other questions by taking advantage of an individual excursion with a professional guide.

Great Medici tombs

Two years after the death of Pope Leo X, the grandson of Lorenzo the Magnificent, Pope Clement XVII, continued to finance the construction of a chapel in the new sacristy of San Lorenzo. The sculptor Michelangelo and his apprentices worked on the design of the Medici Chapel for more than 10 years. Michelangelo's favorite material was white marble from the Carrara quarries. The master himself was often present during the selection of blocks for his work.

The allegorical sculptures of Day, Night, Morning and Evening, in the Medici Chapel, were also made by the architect from white Carrara marble and carefully polished to a shine. Explore all corners of the Church of San Lorenzo and not get lost in the corridors of the tombs, learn a lot of interesting information in a short period of time and see the iconic sights of Florence and the Medici Chapel - this is only possible with the help of competent guides and individual excursions.

Medici and Renaissance

Freedom of creative choice was possible in Republican Florence, but starting from the 15th century, everything talented craftsmen completely dependent on the Medici court. Michelangelo was a supporter of the Republicans and opposed the tyranny of the Medici, while fulfilling multiple orders from the family. Fearing the ducal wrath, the sculptor continued to design the Church of San Lorenzo, the Laurenziano Library and the new sacristy.

After the defeat of the Republicans, Michelangelo hid from his masters in the sacristy under the Chapel of San Lorenzo and remained there until the Pope forgave his rebellion. After these events, in 1534 the master moved to Rome without finishing the design of the Medici Chapel. Work on the tomb of Lorenzo the Magnificent was continued by Vasari, and the sculptures of Cosimo and Domiano were completed by Michelangelo's students. The great Michelangelo himself (1475-1564) - sculptor, poet, painter and engineer, is buried in the marble tomb of San Lorenzo.

A special role in the design of the Basilica of San Lorenzo was played by the genius of sculpture Donatello (1386-1466). Two huge pulpits, each standing on four columns, are decorated with bronze plates made by the master. The subject for their design was biblical themes, which describe the life of St. Lawrence, the Garden of Gethsemane and the Descent from the Cross. Being an unpretentious person, Donatello did not work for money, was content with modest food and did not wear rich clothes.

The funds he earned were free access for students, and according to the stories of contemporaries, “they were kept in a basket suspended from the ceiling in the sculptor’s workshop.” Combining antiquity and the Renaissance in his works, Donatello paid great attention to drawing and test castings in wax and clay. Unfortunately, not a single diagram or sample has survived to this day.

These and others Interesting Facts about the role of the Medici in centuries-old history Renaissance Florence, tourists learn from competent guides during individual excursions.

Opening hours and ticket prices

Complex historical buildings in the Church of San Lorenzo, varies in visiting times and requires separate purchase of tickets.

Opening hours of the Basilica of San Lorenzo:

• from 10.00 to 17.00 daily
• from 13.30 to 17.30 on Sunday
• closed on Sundays from November to February

Ticket offices close at 16.30.

Ticket prices:

• 6 euros for visiting the basilica;
• 8.5 euros for a joint visit to the Basilica and Laurenziano Library.

Opening hours of the Medici Chapel:

• from 08.15 to 15.45;
• Closed January 1, December 25, May 1, 1st to 3rd, and 5th Monday of the month, 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month.

Tickets to the Chapel cost 8 euros.

Where is it and how to get there

The Church of San Lorenzo and the Medici Chapel are located at Piazza di San Lorenzo, 9, 50123 Firenze FI, Italia.

City bus No. 1 takes tourists to the San Lorenzo stop.

If you travel by car, you can use the underground parking at Florence Santa Maria Novella train station, which is within walking distance of the basilica.

Medici Chapel in Florence on the map

Coordinates: 43°46′30.59″ n. w. 11°15′13.71″ E. d. /  43.775164° s. w. 11.253808° E. d.(G) (O) (I)43.775164 , 11.253808

Medici Chapel- memorial chapel of the Medici family at the Florentine church of San Lorenzo. Its sculptural decoration is among the most grandiose achievements of Michelangelo Buonarotti and the Late Renaissance in general.

Architect's invitation

Michelangelo arrived in Florence in 1514 because Pope Leo X de' Medici invited him to create a new façade for the local church of San Lorenzo, the family temple of the influential Medici family. This facade was supposed to become a “mirror of all of Italy”, the embodiment of the best features of the skill of Italian artists and a witness to the power of the Medici family. But long months of thought, design decisions, and Michelangelo’s own stay in the marble quarries were in vain. There was not enough money to implement the grandiose facade - and the project came to naught after the death of the pope.

In order not to alienate the ambitious artist from his family, Cardinal Giulio Medici instructed him not to finish the facade, but to create a chapel in the same church of San Lorenzo. Work on it began in 1519.

Concept and projects

The tombstone of the Renaissance went through a significant development when Michelangelo was forced to turn to the topic of memorial sculpture. The Medici Chapel is a monument to the formidable and powerful Medici family, and not the free expression of a creative genius.

In the first sketches, it was proposed to create a tombstone for early deceased representatives of the family - Duke Giuliano of Nemours and Duke of Urbino Lorenzo, whom Michelangelo wanted to place in the middle of the chapel. But the development of new options and studying the experience of his predecessors forced the artist to turn to the traditional scheme of side, wall monuments. Michelangelo developed wall options in latest project, decorating the tombstone with sculptures, and the lunettes above them with frescoes.

The artist flatly refused to make portraits. He made no exception for the Dukes Lorenzo and Giuliano. He presented them as the embodiment of generalized, idealized persons - active and contemplative. A hint of the fleeting nature of their lives were also the allegorical figures of the passage of the day - Night, Morning, Day and Evening. The triangular composition of the tombstone was complemented by reclining figures of river gods already on the floor. The latter are a hint of the continuous passage of time. The background was a wall, compositionally decorated with niches and pilasters, complemented by decorative figures. It was planned to place garlands, armor and four decorative figurines of crouching boys over Lorenzo’s tombstone (the only one created from them would later be sold to England. From Lyde Brown’s collection in 1785 it would be acquired by the Russian Empress Catherine II for her own palace collections).

Large shells were kept above the tombstone of Giuliano Putti, and a fresco was planned in the lunette. In addition to the tombstones, there was also an altar and sculptures of the Madonna and Child and two holy doctors - Cosmas and Damian, the heavenly patrons of the family.

Incomplete embodiment

The Medici Chapel is a small room, square in plan, the side length of the wall is twelve meters. The structure's architecture was influenced by the Pantheon in Rome, a celebrated example of domed construction by ancient Roman craftsmen. Michelangelo created a small version of it in his hometown. Outwardly ordinary and tall, the building makes an unpleasant impression with the rough surface of undecorated walls, the monotonous surface of which is broken by rare windows and a dome. Overhead lighting is practically the only illumination of the building, as in the Roman Pantheon.

The huge concept with a large number of sculptures did not frighten the artist, who began working on the project at the age of 45. He will also have time to create figures of both dukes, allegorical figures of the passage of the day, a boy on his knees, Madonna and Child and Saints Cosmas and Damian. Only those that were truly completed were sculptures by Lorenzo and Giuliano and the allegorical figure of Night. The master even managed to sand their surface. The surface of the Madonna, the boy on her knees, and the allegories of Day, Evening and Morning are much less developed. In a strange way, the unfinished nature of the figures gave them a new expressiveness, threatening strength and anxiety. The contrasting combination of light walls with dark colors of pilasters, cornices, window frames and lunette arches also contributed to the impression of melancholy. The alarming mood was also supported by the terrible, teratological frieze ornaments and masks on the capitals.

The figures of the river gods were developed only in drawings and sketches. In the finished version they were abandoned altogether. The niches along the Lorenzo's figures and Giuliano and the lunettes. The background of the wall with the figures of the Madonna and Child and Saints Cosmas and Damian is not designed in any way. In one of the options, they also planned to create pilasters and niches here. The lunette could contain a fresco on the theme “The Resurrection of Christ” as a hint at eternal life died in the afterlife and which is in the sketch.

Break with the Medici

Chapel interior

Work on the figures of the chapel lasted almost fifteen years and did not bring satisfaction to the artist end result, because it did not correspond to the plan. His relationship with the Medici family also deteriorated. In 1527, republican-minded Florentines rebelled and expelled all Medici from the city. Work on the chapel stopped. Michelangelo took the side of the rebels, which gave rise to accusations of ingratitude towards long-time patrons and patrons of the arts.

Florence was besieged by the soldiers of the united armies of the Pope and Emperor Charles. The provisional government of the rebels appointed Michelangelo as head of all fortifications. The city was taken in 1531 and Medici power in Florence was restored. Michelangelo was forced to continue working in the chapel.

Michelangelo, having completed the sketches of the sculptures, left Florence and moved to Rome, where he worked until his death. The chapel was built according to his design solutions and unfinished sculptures were installed in the appropriate places. The figures of Saints Cosmas and Damian were made by assistant sculptors Montorsoli and Raffaello da Montelupo.

In 1421-1428 Brunelleschi built a chapel on the side of the Temple of San Lorenzo (Medici Chapel) in Florence. It was supposed to become a crypt for the Medici house. Almost a hundred years later, Pope Leo X invited Michelangelo to complete its façade. Due to lack of money, work was stopped.

Florence, Church of San Lorenzo

The oldest church in Florence is the Temple of San Lorenzo. In 339 this Cathedral consecrated by St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan. It was rebuilt during the Romanesque period and reconsecrated in 1059. In 1418, the Medici decided to completely rebuild it and entrusted it to Philip Brunelleschi. The inside of the temple is decorated with works by Donatello. The Chapel of the Princes became the tomb for all the Medici dukes of the second line of the family, starting with Cosimo I. It displays the wealth and power of the Medici.

It is filled with all the coats of arms of the cities of the Duchy of Tuscany and the Medici coat of arms on the ceiling. The magnificent interior was completed over almost two hundred years. The work was done very carefully. There must have been six dukes buried there. In reality, the huge sarcophagi are empty and serve only as funerary monuments. In fact, the Medici are buried in a crypt. Behind each sarcophagus there should have been sculptures of dukes. However, only two monuments exist - the statue of Ferdinand I and Cosimo II. The dome follows Brunelleschi's and is decorated with scenes from Scripture.

Crypt with burials. Chapel of the Princes

The entrance to the Medici Chapel will lead directly to the crypt. It is from here that you can go to the Chapel of the Princes and the New Sacristy. The crypt is dark and gloomy, which is natural for a tomb where most of the members of the Medici family were actually buried, including those who were supposed to rest in the chapel of the princes.

In the painting, a high-born lady sits in a majestic chair. This is Anna Maria Louise de' Medici, the last heiress of this family, who died in 1743. She left a huge artistic legacy to her native Florence.

For Michelangelo lovers

In 1520 it was necessary to build a chapel with tombs for Lorenzo the Magnificent and his brother Giuliano, as well as for two other sons of the Medici family: Giuliano, Duke of Nemours, and Lorenzo, Duke of Urbino. Moreover, Cardinal Giulio, cousin Pope Leo X, wants to entrust Michelangelo with the construction of a library. It should house books belonging to the whole family, as well as those received from various courtiers and other famous book lovers. The Medici Chapel and the New Sacristy in it and the library are two important assignments for the 45-year-old master, who will have to deal with architecture for the first time.

The new sacristy is one of the architectural projects that the master brought to completion. It contains no less than seven sculptures of the Renaissance genius.

Beginning of work

Cardinal Giulio of the Medici family, elected pope under the name Clement VII, summoned Michelangelo to Rome and gave firm instructions that the Medici Chapel should be completed without delay. He wants to be glorified throughout the centuries no less than Pope Leo X and his predecessors, who left their memory as patrons of architecture, sculpture and painting. It was necessary to immortalize the images not of the famous Medici who were in ancient times, but of those who established the monarchy in Florence. These were two young dukes who had not glorified themselves in any way. The New Sacristy in the Church of San Lorenzo (Medici Chapel) should form a single complex with the Old one, which was built by Brunelleschi.

Michelangelo conceived and then made it with more complex orders, cornices, capitals, doors, niches and tombs. He deviated from previously accepted rules and customs. The Medici Chapel, at the request of the pope, should no longer include the tombs of Lorenzo the Magnificent and his brother Giuliano. The tombs of Pope Leo X and his own should take pride of place. Wishing that no one else would take advantage of Michelangelo's genius, Clement VII invited the architect to become a monk and take monastic vows into the Order of St. Francis. When the artist refused, dad gave him a house. Next to it stood the Medici Chapel. The salary exceeded 3 times the amount that Michelangelo asked for.

Michelangelo in Florence

What did Michelangelo Buonarroti have to do? The Medici Chapel required the addition of a chapel. It was necessary to erect a ceiling vault, build a skylight and perform a number of equally labor-intensive works. And then you can think about the sculptures with which the sculptor intended to decorate the tombstones of Giuliano and Lorenzo de' Medici. This will require workers, and therefore money from Clement VII.

Designs for the Dukes' Sculptures

What feelings will the Medici Chapel evoke? Michelangelo, without deceiving himself, assumed that when the sculptures were completed, they would disappoint those who wanted to see the image of two descendants of the family. There will be no portrait resemblance in them. He wanted to create new people, born not only of their time, but also of his own new artistic tasks. In statues, movement should be conveyed by the balance of the pose, which seems to be frozen in the air. These will be two strong young men, filled with majestic calm.

Medici Chapel: description

In the Medici tomb, a person finds himself in a completely different world, not the one on the street. You are overcome by a feeling of melancholy and the impression that you are in the square. There are raw facades of houses all around, because the dark pilasters, platbands on rare windows, the windows themselves, and the light walls of this ensemble give an unsettling feeling of a medieval street and square. It is precisely this kind of space that includes a person in the rapidly flowing flow of time that Michelangelo created. The Master's Tomb is a reflection on the extent of variability, duration and brevity of existence, captured in the fusion of architecture and sculpture.

Madonna

In the Church of San Lorenzo (Medici Chapel), the New Sacristy looks like a free cube, which is topped with a vault. The architect placed niches in the walls with wall-mounted, significantly enlarged tombs. For them, he used life-size sculptural figures. Opposite the altar, he placed the sculptural group “Madonna and Child” and surrounded it with statues of St. Cosmas and Damian (patrons of the Medici).

They were made by his students based on his clay sketches. Madonna is the key to the entire chapel. She is beautiful and internally focused. Madonna's face is tilted towards the child. She is filled with sadness and sorrow. Madonna is immersed in deep, heavy thought. The folds of her clothing create a tense rhythmic action and connect her with all architectural form. The baby reaches out to her. It is also filled with internal dynamics and tension, which is consistent with the entire chapel. In the composition of the chapel, Madonna plays very important role. It is to her that the figures of Giuliano and Lorenzo are turned.

Statues in niches

Without a hint of portrait likeness two allegorical figures sit in the armor of the ancient Romans. Courageous, energetic Giuliano, with his head uncovered, leans on the commander’s baton.

It symbolizes the peace that came after the war. effective life. While his brother Lorenzo is in deepest thought and symbolizes the contemplative life.

His head, covered with an antique helmet, rests on his hand, and with his elbow on a box, the animal face of which is symbolic. It signifies wisdom and business qualities. Both figures are tired and melancholy. The niches squeeze them together, which causes a feeling of anxiety and uneasiness in the viewer. They are going through a difficult time of wars and unrest and remember Lorenzo the Magnificent, the benefactor of Italy, under whom peace reigned.

Figures on the lids of sarcophagi

Sliding from the sloping lids of the tombs, barely holding on to them, lie sculptural allegories of morning and evening at the feet of Lorenzo and day and night - at Giuliano. The symbols of running time are painfully uncomfortable. Their powerful bodies with ideal proportions are materialized languor and sorrow. “Morning” slowly and reluctantly wakes up, “Day” is awake joylessly and anxiously, “Evening”, numb, falls asleep, “Night” is immersed in a heavy, restless sleep. What kind of bird is on the Medici Chapel? “Night” rests its foot on the owl, which, if it flies, will wake it up.

The stone she holds in her hand could fall out at any moment and also wake her up. There is no peace for “Night”. This is what he talks about full of suffering mask in her hand.

The figure of “The Day” deserves attention because the inconsistency of the sculpture is surprising beautiful body and with difficulty turning her head towards the viewer. The body is beautiful and polished, but the face is slightly visible, the image is barely outlined. “Day” contains traces of tools and is artistically under-designed. The figures of “Morning” and “Evening” are unfinished. This creates additional expressiveness, anxiety and threat. The sculptor was not afraid to go beyond his time, forcing the viewer to think out and interpret the sculptures in any way he wanted. Here in front of you is the face of the “Evening” (Medici Chapel). The photograph confirms the above.

The figures do not want to live or feel. All together, the times of day confirm the Medici motto “Always” (Semper), meaning constant service. Together with the figures of young people, the allegories are enclosed in a stable triangular composition.

"Crouching Boy"

The Medici Chapel and the heavy timelessness that engulfs a person in it had another sculpture, which is now in the Hermitage.

She is also called “The Boy Taking out the Splinter.” If you mentally return him to the chapel, it turns out that the infinity of time is combined with immediacy. This is a small statue that fits freely into the cube. It, like “Day,” is not completely finished: its bottom is not finished, and its back is not polished. The child was bent over towards his sore leg, his position was so unusual and unexpected. The sculptor sought to remove only what was absolutely necessary from the marble, so that if it fell from the pedestal, nothing would break off. The boy is important in the overall plan, for he is a moment within time. If Madonna is a historical, Christian time that united the people of that era, then the boy is its short duration. He is both a situation and a moment. The figures under the niches are in the same cycle of changing times, and not on their own, standing out as something special. Everything for a genius exists as in life - simultaneously and diverse.

Laurentian Library

Simultaneously with his work in the New Sacristy, which he turned into a majestic chapel, Michelangelo was building a library. After passing through a cozy courtyard, you can get into it through the left nave. It is intended only for initiates.

It contains ancient manuscripts, illustrated codices, and the text of the union that was concluded at the Council of Florence in 1439. First there was a vestibule, then a hall for manuscripts, where they could be stored and read. This one has long room light walls made of gray stone. The lobby is high. Tourists are not allowed further than into it. There are no statues, but there are double columns that are recessed into the walls. Special attention was given an unusual one that resembles the flow of molten lava. It has semicircular steep steps and very low railings. It begins at the threshold of the lobby and expands to form three parts. The master himself was already in Rome when the staircase, the main attraction of the lobby, was built using his clay model.

This concludes the description of the creation of the brilliant Michelangelo. In this grandiose work he embodied his innovative ideas. They are so universal that they have acquired significance for all of humanity. This is how the Medici Chapel changed. Florence received a Medici monument, which became a monument to the city itself.

Cappella Medici

The Medici Chapel is part of the monumental complex of San Lorenzo. was the official church of the Medici family, who lived in a palace on Via Larga (now Via Cavour). The chapel itself became their mausoleum. Giovanni de’ Bicci de’ Medici (died 1429) was the first of the Medici family to bury himself and his wife Piccarda in Bruneleschi’s small sacristy. Later his son, Cosimo the Elder, was buried in the church. The project for a family mausoleum for the Medici was conceived in 1520, when Michelangelo began work on the New Sacristy, located opposite Bruneleschi's Old Sacristy on the other side of the church. After all, Cardinal Giulio de' Medici future dad Roman Clement VII, planned to build a mausoleum for some members of his family, Lorenzo the Magnificent and his brothers, Lorenzo, Duke of Urbino (1492-1519) and Giuliano, Duke of Nemours (1479-1516).

The Medici Chapel was completed in 1524, with its white walls and pietra serena interior based on Brunneleschi's design. The entrance to the chapel is located at the back. The Medici Chapel is divided into three parts:

• crypt
• Princely Chapel (Cappella dei Principi)
• new treasury

Visit the Medici Chapel

• Medici Chapel
• Capelle Medicee
• Piazza Madonna degli Aldobrandini, 6, near
• entrance to the Medici Chapel from the piazza. S. Lorenzo

Working hours:

• daily from 8:15 to 13:50
• from March 19 to November 3 and from December 26 to January 5 from 8:15 to 17:00.
• Closed: second and fourth Sunday of the month; first, third, fifth Monday of the month; New Year, May 1, December 25.

Admission ticket:

• Full price: 6.00 €
• Reduced: €3.00 (children aged 18 to 25 years, school teachers)

What to see in the Medici Chapel

In the first hall Medici chapels- the Medici family tomb, designed by Buontalenti, contains the tombs of Cosimo the Old, Donatello, and the great dukes from the family of the Dukes of Lorraine that ruled after the Medici. From this hall you can ascend to the Chapel dei Principi ( Cappella dei Principi), or Princely Chapel, the decoration of which continued until the 18th century and where the Grand Dukes of Tuscany are buried: Cosimo III, Francesco I, Cosimo I, Ferdinand I, Cosimo II and Ferdinand II.

From the Princely Chapel a corridor leads to New treasury(Sagrestia Nuova), which is located symmetrically to the Old Treasury of the Church of San Lorenzo. On behalf of Pope Leo X, from the Medici family, who wanted to create a crypt for the younger members of the house, Michelangelo built a treasury. The resulting square room (11 x 11 m) is called the Medici Chapel.

In decorating the interior, the sculptor was guided by the decoration of the Old Sacristy, built according to Brunelleschi's design. He divided the walls with vertical fluted Corinthian pilasters and cut them with horizontal cornices. At the same time, Michelangelo resorted to Brunelleschi’s favorite decorative technique - juxtaposing a white wall with segments of dark gray stone. Michelangelo strives to extend this “frame” system in height, for which purpose he narrows upward the frame of the windows in the lunettes of the upper tier and gives the dome caissons a perspective reduction. The lower pilasters and cornice are perceived as the frames of sculptural tombs.

In this decision, the new, no longer Renaissance, principle of interior design, based on a combination of contrasts, is most clearly visible. Using the simplest techniques, Michelangelo achieves unprecedented dynamism, giving rise to a different artistic language. And from the Renaissance we suddenly find ourselves in the Baroque era.

Medici Chapel Tombs

In the design of the tombs, Michelangelo decisively violates the harmony and lightness of the Renaissance architectural frame. Visually, the heavy sculptures seem to want to come out of their architectural “frames,” barely holding on to the sloping lids of the sarcophagi. It is impossible to more accurately convey the feeling of cramped crypts, heaviness gravestones and an intense desire to live. Michelangelo completed only two of the planned tombs. The great-grandchildren of Cosimo the Old are buried in them. Helmet depicts Lorenzo, Duke of Urbino The allegorical figures on the tomb of the first are called “Evening” and “Morning”, of the second - “Night” and “Day”.