Tombstone of Giuliano Medici. Description of Michelangelo's sculpture "Tomb of Lorenzo de' Medici"

There is a place in Florence that has been my fixation for 6 years: the Medici Chapels. On our first visit, they were still closed on Mondays, like all museums. In the second, we worked until 13:50 (as sometimes happens now), and after the Uffizi we did not have time to get there. Well, as they say, God loves a trinity.
Actually, the Medici Chapel (and not the chapel, as they sometimes say, Cappelle Medicee, website, wiki) is a decent-sized complex at the Church of San Lorenzo, generally consisting of three rooms: the crypt, the “chapel of the princes” and the new sacristy, and only the last - creation of Michelangelo.
The crypt is not very interesting: there are exhibitions of all kinds of reliquaries, mostly late ones, when the amount of gold and the elaborateness of forms were valued, rather than beauty or subject matter (I can’t help but remember the reliquary in Orvieto or in the cathedral in Genoa - what wonderful things). In the crypt are the tombs of the last Italian condottiere, the founder of the Medici dukes, Giovanni dalle Bande Nere (he is sitting in front of the church in an indecent pose) and his wife. (In fact, there is another crypt near the Church of San Lorenzo, where Cosimo the Elder de Medici and Donatello are buried, but outsiders are not allowed there.)
In the "Chapel of Princes", of course, there are no princes - there are dukes, and this, you see, is a slightly different calico. But from the point of view of decor, some princes may not only envy, but eat their hat (or tie, whoever has what) out of envy: the octagonal chapel with the second tallest dome in the city (after Brunelleschi’s dome, you know where) is lined with multi-colored marble, porphyry and granite ...

The sarcophagi, except for one, granite, are also made of polychrome marble with inlay and ducal crowns (it’s a pity, there are only two statues in the niches - the work has not been completed)...

At the base of the pilasters are the coats of arms of the “ward” cities...

The dome is inlaid and painted very richly...

Gorgeous floor...

In general, that rare case, When Saint Isaac's Cathedral and the Hermitage nervously smoke on the sidelines. There is a reason to be proud.
I especially want to mention the altar: if you have ever seen such inlay, then I have not.

Honestly, I was delighted with such “luxuries” last time at the age of 12 and since then I have felt a fierce hatred for them, but I don’t have enough conscience not to appreciate the scope and skill. Really cool.
As for the new sacristy (wiki) - there is also the old one (wiki), by Brunelleschi, with decor by Donatello and Luca della Robbia - I imagined it completely different. I don’t know which one exactly - maybe more like a church and not like a museum storeroom? In any case, the tombstones of the Dukes of Urbino and Nemours, well known to me at least from the casts in Pushkin Museum, and here they look somehow unreal.

I remember the thrill I felt 2 years ago in Rome, when it turned out that the Moses I knew from childhood on the tomb of Pope Julius II was like this: yellowish, muscular, not even in shape, but in structure, when the veins of the marble seemed alive human skin. Here you can feel the hand of the master, but the structure of the marble is not very good (it’s even a little strange that Michelangelo chose it for so long).

I would especially like to say about female figures. It is common for Italian (and, in general, European) art of the Renaissance to not be able to depict women and children. The feeling that this is how the ban on the body in Catholicism manifested itself: even when painting and sculpture moved away from Gothic disproportion and gained anatomical accuracy, this only affected male figure, since the apprentices could always be undressed, put in the desired position and spent hours drawing either a face or a body, achieving correct placement of muscles and reflexes.
Not so with women. There are wonderful examples: here we must again say about Filippo Lippi and Sandro Botticelli with their muses - and opposite examples from the Sienese, who, apparently, were categorically unlucky with their wives. But it’s one thing to pose with your face, and quite another with your body. There is even a feeling that artists and their wives did not see naked in ordinary lighting, let alone their models. This is how monsters were born with breasts on their shoulders or on their sides, according to the principle “she has something there somewhere.” It’s even worse with children: if the baby Jesus just looks like a miniature eight- to ten-year-old, like Giotto, or a twenty-year-old youth, like in Greek icons, consider yourself lucky, or maybe just a disproportionate freak. Even in Leonardo, with his aesthetics, babies are not alive - it took Raphael (albeit standing on the shoulders of Perugino) for the babies to take on a natural appearance.
It must be said that Michelangelo is in order with babies - he always, even in early works, did not skimp on babies: apparently, sadly, he came across the corpses of babies along with the corpses of adult men, whom he dissected, carefully encrypting them from the church. Either he didn’t come across the corpses of women, or the rumors about orientation are not fiction, but with naked women, as opposed to clothed ones, Michelangelo clearly didn’t have a good time.
Let's say, the night is an obvious man with an ineptly attached chest (also of such a configuration that you will not find it in life).

Aurora's (Morning) breasts are more reminiscent of a woman's, but the figure is still male, although not as pronounced as in the case of Night.

Against this background, the Medici Madonna on the tombstone of Lorenzo the Magnificent and his brother Giuliano, killed during the Patia conspiracy, looks like a standard of style and anatomical accuracy, although built according to classical Greco-Roman models (for example, the Madonna’s face clearly resembles Athena, or even Hera, if you take into account the nose). Of course, it is clear that this is the same hand that Rachel made for the tomb of Pope Julius II in Rome, but the unity of authorship with the Vatican “Pieta” may raise questions: “Pieta” is delightfully modern, but here there is a deliberate send-up to antiquity (unlike surrounding Cosmas and Damian, made by students based on the master’s sketches and models - these do not look ancient at all).

In general, we completed the task; we visited the Medici chapels. This did not bring me personal satisfaction - rather, disappointment. Although everyone sees it differently, of course.

Closing another gestalt, we did some shopping at the Mercato di San Lorenzo, buying a couple of bags and a couple of wallets promised to Mouse. Say what you want, but Florentine leather is beautiful, and you can always bargain. Is it true. It seemed to me that the range of bags has decreased slightly, but maybe. it just seemed like it.
Having thus lifted our spirits, we headed to our favorite place - the Monastery of San Marco (wiki). If you have never been here or confuse the Florentine San Marco with the Venetian one, be sure to visit: you will remember it for a long time, I promise. (By the way, due to the fact that it was raining again, we were met at the entrance by a girl who, with deft and quick movements, pulled special plastic covers over our umbrellas to prevent it from dripping. We swallowed nervously.)
The monastery was built in the 13th century, but only in 1437 passed into the hands of the Dominicans. With the support of Cosimo de' Medici, who brought in the great architect Michelozzo and paid the expenses, the monastery quickly became one of the most important in Florence. In addition, Cosimo organized the first in the history of the city at the monastery public library and asked to be given a cell for meditation (unlike other monks, the window in Cosimo’s cell faced the north, where there is less sun, and was the size of a palm).
The monastery was painted by local monks - however, one must understand that they were Fra Giovanni (Angelico) and Fra Bartolomeo. With the appearance of Savonarola in Florence (who, on his own account, was invited by the Medici), the monastery became his headquarters, and he himself became the abbot. Savonarola’s three-room cell (unlike all the others: even Cosimo’s has two small rooms) with an exhibition of tools for the humiliation of the flesh can still be visited today.

The museum's exhibition mainly consists of works by Fra Angelico: they are located on the ground floor, at the entrance (former hospice) and in the chapter hall, on the second in the cells and corridors (including one of the best “Annunciations” in history, wiki - just look at the expression on Mary’s face!). Separately, it must be said about the book miniatures in the library on the second floor: how much better, more subtle, more interesting is Fra Angelico than his contemporary Zanobi Strozzi, how much more archaic Strozzi is!
You are not allowed to take photographs in the museum - in the cells this is strictly monitored, although "The Annunciation" is still taken en masse from the stairs, where the guards cannot see it. But downstairs you can take some pictures if you want. To be honest, we didn’t want much, we went to Once again We were amazed at how good Fra Angelico was. But one work was partially clicked: this is the “Crucifixion with Saints” from the chapter hall (wiki). I can’t believe that this is 1442: Verrocchio was 7 years old, and Lorenzo the Magnificent, Ghirlandaio, Botticelli, not to mention Leonardo and Michelangelo, were not yet born. Look at these faces and tell me that Fra Angelico is simple and primitive!

Other artists represented include the already mentioned Fra Bartolomeo (who, by the way, painted the most famous lifetime portrait of Savonarola), Paolo Uccello, a student of Fra Angelico Benozzo Gozzoli, Bartolomeo Caporali, Luca and Andrea della Robbia and many others. As an example - " last supper"Ghirlandaio (wiki): it even seems that in the 40 years since the Crucifixion with the Saints, painting has not advanced very far, although in fact a huge path has been covered.

In general, San Marco is a must-visit place.

And for us in Florence there is one more must-see place: it just so happens that we do not change the tradition of going to eat “for fools”, despite the unconditional interest in other places and regular criticism from experts who consider Borgo San Lorenzo a disgusting tourist area, and restaurants , where there is a Russian menu and chicken breast- Not worth attention. So - once again I Matti (website).
We took: ribolita, cacio e pepe (pichi with pecorino and black pepper - simple and amazingly tasty, no worse than the local delicious arrabbiata), panna cotta and delicious tiramisu (the local one is definitely one of the three most delicious ones I have eaten). In general, the “fools” did not disappoint again. And this is good, because the day was only halfway through, and two more important places awaited us.

to be continued

The Medici Chapel in Florence is a memorial chapel of the entire Medici family at the Church of San Lorenzo. The sculptural decoration of the temple is among the most grandiose achievements Late Renaissance and Michelangelo Buonarotti in particular.
Michelangelo first came to Florence in 1514. He arrived to create a new facade for the family temple of San Lorenzo, the church of the influential Medici family. The commission was given to him by Pope Leo X. The façade was to become the “mirror of Italy”, the embodiment best traditions Italian artists, evidence of the power of the Medici family. But Michelangelo’s grandiose project was never realized due to lack of funding and the death of the pope.
Then the ambitious artist received a task from Cardinal Giulio Medici not to restore the facade, but to create a new chapel in the same church of San Lorenzo. Work began in 1519.
The tombstone has undergone a significant development since the Renaissance. Then Michelangelo also turned to the topic of memorial sculpture. The Medici Chapel became a monument dedicated to the powerful Medici family, and not the will of a creative genius.
In the middle of the chapel, Michelangelo wanted to place the tombstones of the early deceased representatives of the Medici - the Duke of Nemours Giuliano and the Duke of Urbino Lorenzo. Their sketches were offered along with the temple sketches. But it was not the simple development of new options, as well as the study of predecessors, that forced the artist to create them according to the traditional scheme of side monuments near the walls. Michelangelo decorated the tombstone with sculptures. The lunettes above them were topped with frescoes.
The Medici Chapel is a small room, square in plan, the length of the walls reaches twelve meters. In the architecture of the building you can see the influence of the Pantheon in Rome, a famous example of the domed construction of the masters Ancient Rome. The ordinary and high structure of the chapel makes an unpleasant impression with its rough surface and undecorated walls. The monotonous surface is broken up only by rare windows and a dome. The overhead lighting inside is practically the only lighting in the building.
The artist began work on such complex project with a lot of sculptures at 45 years old. He even managed to create figures of dukes, allegorical figures of the time of day, a boy on his knees, Saints Cosmas and Damian, Madonna and Child. But only the sculptures of Lorenzo and Giuliano, as well as the allegorical figure of Night, were completed. The master only managed to sand their surface. Having completed the sketches for the sculptures, Michelangelo left Florence and moved to Rome. The Medici Chapel continued to be built according to his design solutions; unfinished sculptures were installed in the appropriate places.

It’s sweet for me to sleep like a sculptured stone in a niche,
as long as the world lives in shame and torment;
not feeling, not knowing is a blessed fate;
Are you still here? So keep your voice down.
Translation by Elena Katsyuba.

One of the greatest masterpieces era High Renaissance– “Medici Chapel” - a sculptural ensemble made by Michelangelo and located in the so-called New Sacristy (sacristy) of the church San Lorenzo(family church of the Medici family) in Florence. After the death of Pope Julius II (Giuliano della Rovere, pont. 1503-1513), one of the most demanding, but also generous patrons of the arts, a man of exorbitant ambitions, the pope under whom began the construction of the unprecedented scale of St. Peter's Cathedral, where Michelangelo was to build a majestic tomb decorated with fifty statues, in which Julius rests; completed by Michelangelo and the frescoes of the ceiling are open for viewing Sistine Chapel, chapel of St. Sixtus, patron of the Rovere family; Raphael painted the palace rooms (stanzas) of the pope's apartments in the Vatican; Leo X (Pont. 1513-1521), Giovanni de' Medici, the second son of Lorenzo the Magnificent, was elected pope.
Florence. c.San Lorenzo
Perhaps because he was born in the year of the memorable Florentine tournament, the so-called Giostra (1475), and perhaps due to natural inclination, Leo X, having adopted his father’s diplomatic abilities, also adopted an exorbitant love of luxury and entertainment. The papal estates, mines and treasury left by Julius II were not enough to pay for hunts, feasts, and celebrations. Both Erasmus of Rotterdam and the young monk Martin Luther were horrified by visiting Rome during these years. There was not enough money, and Leo X carried out several financial projects, two of which: the official sale of church positions (“simony”) and the sale of “releases” (“indulgences”), finally exhausted the patience of a large part of Western Christians. Luther issued his “Theses,” and the pope responded with a bull ordering the burning of Luther’s works. The Reformation began in Germany.
Leo X died suddenly, without even having time to receive unction. Of course, during the years of his pontificate, the construction of St. Peter's Cathedral was progressing poorly, and there was nothing to think about the grandiose tomb of Pope Julius II. True, he suggested that Michelangelo create the facade of the Church of San Lorenzo, unfinished by Brunelleschi, so that this temple would become “the mirror of all Italy,” and Michelangelo gladly agreed to leave for his beloved Florence, where he worked hard for four years until, in 1520, all according to the same due to lack of money, work on the facade was not stopped.
However, in the same year, Cardinal Giulio de' Medici, future dad Clement VII (Pont. 1523-1534), illegitimate son Giuliano Medici and his peer cousin Giovanni (Leo X), who grew up in the house of his uncle (Lorenzo the Magnificent) after the murder of his father, offered Michelangelo another option for work in San Lorenzo. He proposed creating in the new sacristy of the church an ensemble of tombstones for recently deceased family members: Lorenzo, the son of Pietro Medici (the elder brother of Leo X) and Giuliano, the youngest of the sons of Lorenzo the Magnificent - not famous for anything except their family names: Lorenzo and Giuliano.
At first, Michelangelo, depressed by the failure with the façade of the church, accepted the idea without enthusiasm: he did not have any special feelings for the dead. But he remembered the years spent in the brilliant circle of Lorenzo the Magnificent and honored his memory. And in the New Sacristy there should have been sarcophagi with the ashes of the elders Lorenzo and Giuliano.

The architectural and plastic design of the tomb was dictated by the small size of the chapel, forming a square with a side of 11 meters in plan. To place in such a small room a structure designed for a circular bypass, as he initially intended (focusing on compositional ideas tomb of Julius II) was impossible, and Michelangelo chose the traditional composition of wall tombs.

Tomb of Giuliano Medici
The compositions of the tombs on the side walls are symmetrical. Near the wall to the left of the entrance is the tomb of Giuliano. In a rectangular wall niche is the figure of Giuliano, a seated young Florentine in the garb of a Roman patrician with his head uncovered, facing the front wall of the chapel. Below it is a sarcophagus, on the currencies of which there are two allegorical figures: female - Night and male - Day. Night - she sleeps, leaning her bowed head on her right hand, under her left hand is a mask, near her hip is an owl. Day - awake, he leans on his left elbow, half turned towards the viewer in such a way that half of his face is hidden by his powerful right shoulder and back. The face of the Day is worked out sketchily.

Tomb of Lorenzo Medici
Opposite, near the wall to the right of the entrance is the tomb of Lorenzo. He is also dressed in Roman clothes, but a helmet is pulled over his eyes, hiding them in the shadows. His pose is full of deep thoughtfulness, left hand, in which he holds a wallet, is raised to his face and rests on a casket with jewelry, standing on his knee. The head is slightly turned to the right, towards the front wall.

"Evening"
The composition of the sarcophagus is similar, on the currencies there are figures: male - Evening, female - Morning. Both figures are turned towards the viewer. Evening tends to sleep, Morning awakens.

Italy | Michelangelo Buonarroti | (1475-1564) | Medici Chapel | 1526-1533 | marble | New Sacristy of San Lorenzo, Florence |
Near the front wall of the chapel, opposite the entrance and the altar, in a rectangular niche framed by dark columns, orders in the Brunelleschi style, there is a simple rectangular sarcophagus with the ashes of Lorenzo the Magnificent and his brother Giuliano. On the lid of the sarcophagus there are figures: a seated Madonna with a child on her lap (in the center), St. Cosmas and St. Domiana on the sides. The figures of the saints were not sculpted by Michelangelo, but, respectively, by Montorsoli and Raffaello da Montelupo. Madonna de Medici – key image chapel: it is located in the center of the front wall, the views of the saints are turned to it, and the dukes look at it from their niches. She sits, leaning her right hand on the pedestal, on her extended left knee - a baby, half-turned to her mother so that the viewer does not see his face. Madonna holds the child with her left hand. Her facial expression and entire posture are filled with thoughtful detachment.

Contemporaries were struck by the same thing that strikes today - the perfection of the architectural and plastic ensemble of the chapel as a whole, the perfection of the plastic connection of all the sculptures in space, the extraordinary - even for the genius Michelangelo - realism of each of the sculptures, rising to a high generalization, a symbol. ABOUT symbolic meanings A lot has been said about allegories of Morning, Day, Evening and Night. As you know, the figure of the Night attracted particular attention, and an exchange of poetic epigraphs took place between Giovanni Strozzi and Michelangelo. We want to stop at Lorenzo's sculptures and Giuliano and touch on the problem of the “ideal portrait”.
Contemporaries did not see either in appearance or in faces portrait resemblance with recently deceased relatives of Pope Leo X and Clement VII. We think this is easy to explain. It was not these specific people who were depicted by the sculptor above their sarcophagi. The legend of Florence was another Lorenzo and another Giuliano, brothers - those who rested near the front wall. Brothers - and that’s why the tombstones are symmetrical.

During the construction of the chapel from 1520 to 1534, with two long breaks, such thunderstorms swept over Italy in general and over Florence that it seems surprising that the Medici Chapel was almost completed. The pontificate of Clement VII was marked by the sack of Rome by the army of Charles V of Habsburg, which the Eternal City had not seen since the invasion of the barbarians, and ended, in addition to the flaring up Reformation, also with a schism between the Roman and English churches, whose head Henry VIII proclaimed himself. Some church historians consider Clement VII to be the last pope of the Renaissance. And if you follow this, albeit very conventional, chronology, the Medici Chapel is seen as an unsurpassed in perfection tombstone of the brilliant Florentine Renaissance.

Michelangelo wrote “The Last Judgment” as a witness to a different time.

Manon&Gabrielle."Lorenzo and Giuliano".

7. Italy. Second day. Florence. San Lorenzo, Medici. July 19th, 2012

It was already the second hour when we finally rushed further along the route - to San Lorenzo and the Medici Chapel.

But before that, they paid tribute local cuisine, whose offers are abundant in the center. You can have a snack like this

But we decided like this

The first noteworthy object on the way from Piazza Duomo to Piazza San Lorenzo is the Palazzo Medici Riccardi. This palace was built in 1444 - 1464 by the architect Michelozzo on the orders of Cosimo de' Medici the Elder. On the one hand, Cosimo the Elder did not want to cause excessive irritation to other noble Florentine families, so the palace was moderately strict and laconic.

On the other hand, the purpose of building the palace was to emphasize the high position of the Medici family, which reigned in Florence. This was achieved by cladding the facades with rough-hewn stone - rustication - which was previously used only for public buildings.

Cosimo de' Medici the Elder should not be confused with Cosimo I de' Medici, although the temptation is certainly very great)).

Once upon a time, on my first visit to Florence, I managed to get there by miracle. We had one day, half of which was devoted to running around the city, then a couple of hours to run around the Uffizi, and between the Uffizi and departure there was less than an hour of free time. Clutching a map in my hands, at the head of a small group I rushed along unfamiliar city. We ran out to San Lorenzo and, naturally, flew into the church. I ran ahead, rushed right through it and found nothing... Then there were attempts to explain to the servants, but in the end they understood us and directed us to go outside and bypass the entire building, since the entrance to the Chapel is separate on the opposite side. Everything would be fine, but Capella worked until five, and it was about three minutes to three. Without looking back at the group, I apparently set some kind of speed record.

Several either Germans or French were milling about at the entrance, languidly arguing with the attendant, who was closing the heavy door before his eyes. I was flying towards the whole group and simply didn’t have time to slow down. She swept away the Europeans and fell through the crack of a door that was not completely closed. Mine are hopelessly behind. The attendant stopped me and, from somewhere remembering Italian, which I never knew, I babbled something like “Signor, prego, ultima giorno, uno momento...”, like - let me go for a second, I won’t have another chance. And he allowed me to pass for a couple of minutes without a ticket. Behind me, taking advantage of the moment, Europeans flowed into the gap. So I became familiar with the beautiful, without hope then that someday I would return again.

In 1519, Giulio de' Medici, the future Pope Clement VII, commissioned Michelangelo to build a new tomb. The Chapel ensemble includes statues of Lorenzo and Giuliano de' Medici, four allegorical sculptures "Day", "Night", "Morning" and "Evening", as well as the Madonna and Child and sculptures of Saints Cosmas and Damian.

*) Photos in the Chapel are not mine, photography is prohibited in it, I comply with these requirements. It was found on the Internet and was in the public domain.

“Day” and “Night” are located on the sarcophagus of Giuliano, Duke of Nemours - youngest son Lorenzo Medici...

...and “Morning” and “Evening” are located on the sarcophagus of Lorenzo, Duke of Urbino, grandson of Lorenzo de’ Medici, father of the French queen Catherine de’ Medici.

Michelangelo himself worked on the entire sculptural group of the Chapel, but he managed to completely complete only three figures - the statues of Lorenzo, Giuliano and Noci. Madonna, Morning, Day and Evening remained not fully processed, which, however, did not weaken, but in some ways increased the power of their impact. The figures of the saints were made according to the master’s sketches by assistant sculptors Montorsoli and Raffaello da Montelupo.

We spent at least half an hour in the Chapel in complete delight. Having made a noticeable effort on ourselves, we went out to the square and sat down somewhere on a bench to let the impressions settle.

Our program was still far from complete.

Don't switch. Continuation - .

There are the most various interpretations places and meanings of the ensemble of the Medici Chapel both in a general cultural sense and in relation to the stage in Michelangelo’s work: a reflection of views on the world order, philosophical discussions about the essence of time, grief over the fate of Florence, which has lost its freedom, or thoughts about the immortality of the soul.

In fact, Michelangelo embodied architectural forms and plastic images, their personal thoughts are so universal that they acquired universal significance. And the Medici monument eventually became a monument to Florence itself.

Story

In 1520, by order of Pope Leo X and Cardinal Giuliano de' Medici, Michelangelo Buonarotti began work on the creation of the Medici tomb in the Cathedral of San Lorenzo. Aristocrats by birth, rebels by spirit, who supported the Ciompi uprising, politicians, bankers, philanthropists, educators, industrialists and religious leaders - all these are the Medici, each of whom made their own contribution to the history of Florence. The embodiment of Michelangelo's plan to create the Medici Chapel was supposed to become evidence not only of the power of this family, but also “a mirror of all Italy.”

The fourteen-year period of work on the tomb became for the Master years of alternating despair and hope. The impending crisis of Renaissance culture, war, and harsh anti-Florentine policies within the country, which led to the fall of Florence and the destruction of the spirit of free citizenship inherent in the city, created the conditions for the collapse of all Michelangelo’s human and political hopes. It is no coincidence that the sculptural images he created for the Chapel embody tragedy and doom, which can be seen even in the photo.

The Medici Chapel is the only architectural and visual monument created by Michelangelo from beginning to end, unlike many of his other plans, which were not fully realized.

Unity of space and contradiction of content

The Medici Chapel is located in the New Sacristy of the Church of San Lorenzo. For a small square room of about 120 sq. meters, the architect set a goal to stretch the entire composition and interior vertically so that it seemed taller. Innovations artistic views Michelangelo manifested himself in the fact that the massive filling of the space (tombs, sculptures) comes into contrast with the light framing (the cornice of the lower zone of the sacristy and semi-columns). The dynamics of the architectural language were also manifested in the fact that the master was not afraid to cut through the framing lines with fragments of statues protruding beyond their boundaries, as if expanding the internal space of the chapel.

The sculptural decoration was dedicated to the deceased Lorenzo and Giuliano Medici. In contrast to the stereotypes of the 15th century, when the dead were depicted as peacefully resting, Lorenzo, deep in thought, and Giuliano, full of action, are shown sitting in niches. The tombstones seem to form two facades of the palace buildings, the sculptures acquire a natural spatial environment.

The sculptor placed the figures of “Morning” and “Evening” on the lid of Lorenzo’s sarcophagus. “Morning” symbolizes a painful awakening; all the plasticity of this figure is full of premonitions of new suffering. And the movement of the hand, freeing the face from the veil, and the sigh escaping from the half-opened lips, go out, barely having time to begin. The pose and facial expression of “Morning” indicate that a tired, dying soul lives in this blooming body. The image of “Evening” is full of humility, immersion in the haze of sleep. The impression of inertia is enhanced by the deliberate unfinished elaboration of the sculpture’s stone: the face, hands, and feet of “Evening” seem to be shrouded in the twilight of approaching extinction.

Giuliano's tomb is decorated with figures of "Day" and "Night". The titanic image of “Day,” full of power and even some threat, is contrasted with “Night,” which leaves the impression of complete exhaustion of vitality and dying.

For the Medici Chapel, Michelangelo also created a statue of the Madonna nursing a baby. The location of the sculpture is such that it involves walking along an arc, from each point of which a completely new aspect of the expressiveness of plasticity and the beauty of internal movement is revealed.

Location, opening hours and cost

Address: Piazza di Madonna degli Aldobrandini, 6. 50123 Firenze, Italy.

The Medici Chapel is located in Piazza Madonna delli Aldobrandini. The museum is open to visitors from 08:15 to 16:50. It should be taken into account that the ticket The ticket office closes at 16:20. Entrance costs 8 euros, children under 10 years old are free. Excluding holidays and weekends:

• Christmas (note, Catholic, December 25!);
• New Year;
• 1st of May;
• every even Sunday;
• every odd Monday;
• the chapel is open every day.

In the souvenir shop at the Sacristy you can purchase silver and semi-precious stones decorations that exactly replicate those depicted in portraits of members of the Medici family. Prices range from 20 to 300 euros.

How to get there

You need to get to the Medici Chapel by bus No. C1 to stop " Church of San Lorenzo" You can also go on foot. You should focus on the Cathedral of Santa Maria Novella, located on the opposite side of the station square. Then take a short street from Piazza Santa Maria Novella to the Church of San Lorenzo.

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