The Medici: A Legacy of Piety & Power
3.5 hours
They began as wool merchants and moneylenders, but the Medici became Florence’s unofficial royal family – the visionary patrons who bankrolled Michelangelo, discovered Botticelli, and turned their city into the cradle of the Renaissance. Without their obsession with beauty, power, and immortality, Florence wouldn’t just look different – the modern world might not have the Sistine Chapel, perspective painting, or even the concept of the "artist as genius."
This tour takes you inside their most spectacular creations, revealing how they used art as propaganda, chapels as status symbols, and libraries as weapons in their quest to dominate Florence.
Tour Highlights:
1. San Marco Convent
Where Cosimo de’ Medici ("the Patriarch") funded Fra Angelico’s celestial frescoes while secretly running Europe’s largest bank from his monastery cell. See:
The first public library in Europe (his gift to Florence – and clever PR move)
Savonarola’s bare cell – where the firebrand preacher who overthrew the Medici lived
Fra Angelico’s Annunciation – so exquisite it was said angels helped paint it
2. Palazzo Medici-Riccardi
The first Renaissance palace, where young Michelangelo lived as an adopted Medici. Don’t miss:
The Chapel of the Magi: A glittering jewel-box where the Medici painted themselves as the Three Kings (with their rivals as grumpy camels!)
The courtyard that invented Renaissance harmony – copied across Italy
3. Medici Chapels
Michelangelo’s unfinished masterpieces meet staggering Baroque excess:
The New Sacristy’s Dawn/Dusk, Night/Day sculptures – so revolutionary they changed art forever
The Chapel of Princes: A tomb so expensive it nearly bankrupted Florence (worth every penny for the Medici’s ego)
Good to Know:
- Only Thurs-Sat (due to opening hours)
- Tickets: San Marco (€8), Palazzo Medici-Riccardi (€10), Medici Chapels (€9) – we guide you through official booking
- 3.5 hours with strategic breaks at each site
Guide Bio:
Your guide is a brilliant British-Italian expert in Renaissance culture, with decades of experience teaching art and history at prestigious institutions. A published academic and former broadcaster for renowned arts programs, she blends deep scholarly knowledge with a storyteller’s flair. Fluent in the secrets of Florence, she’s dedicated to sharing the city’s wonders beyond the guidebooks.
Private Group Pricing:
1 person: €340 (a private deep dive into Florence’s soul)
2 people: €170 per person
3 people: €115 per person
4 people: €85 per person
5 people: €69 per person
6 people: €59 per person
7 people: €50 per person
8 people: €45 per person