Which museum was created by the Medici family. The main museums of Florence - Pitti, Accademia

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 the earthly existence of the Medici clan was embodied in the decoration of their last shelter. Crypts and tombstones, made by famous masters of the Renaissance, remind of the perishability of earthly existence and the eternity of the universe.

A nice bonus only for our readers - a discount coupon when paying for tours on the site until July 31:

• AF500guruturizma - promo code for 500 rubles for tours from 40,000 rubles
• AF2000TGuruturizma - promo code for 2,000 rubles. for tours to Tunisia from 100,000 rubles.

And you will find many more advantageous offers from all tour operators on the website tours.guruturizma.ru. Compare, choose and book tours at the best prices!

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. The architect Filippo Bruneleschi, commissioned by Cosimo the Elder Medici, added a building in the form 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 with a bifurcation, on the left side of which there is an old sacristy (sacristy) and a passage 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 facing of the outer surface of the church contrasts with its magnificent interior decoration.

Interior decoration

The Church of San Lorenzo is the tomb of many prominent Florentine painters, historians and politicians. For the most famous personalities, sarcophagi were installed on the marble floor and on the upper tiers of the walls. The pillars of the basilica end with Gothic ceiling vaults made of gray stone. In huge vertical niches there are paintings by the great Florentine painters Pietro Marchesini "Saint Matthew" 1723, "The Crucifixion" 1700 by Francesco Conti, "The Crucifixion and Two Sorrowers" Lorenzo Lippi.

Part of the wall is decorated with a huge fresco depicting the Great Martyr St. Lawrence by the artist Bronzino, and a musical organ is installed on a dais. 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 pulpits resembling sarcophagi. They are decorated with bronze reliefs depicting scenes from the life of Christ. These are the last works of Donatello, a unique master of bronze casting, the founder of a sculptural portrait and a round statue, who spent the last years of his life in Florence 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 worship, but in the Basilica of San Lorenzo it has a different purpose. The old sacristy has turned into a crypt of the founder of the Medici family - Giovanni di Bicci. Designed by the architect Filippo Brunneleschi, the tomb is an ideal square room, the architecture of which is dominated by strict geometric lines.

Influenced by ancient masters, Brunneleschi uses columns and pilasters in the interior, which are characteristic of Roman architecture. The walls are decorated with gray-green marble overlays, which, in combination with beige plaster, emphasize the regular forms of the sacristy. A corridor under the gloomy vaults leads to the lower burial chambers and to the tomb of the 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 reposed Medici and precious church utensils are placed everywhere. The silver cross for processions of 877, the reliquary of the Saints of the Dead of 1715, the golden tabernacle of Lorenzo Dolci of 1787 deserve special attention. The wooden doors of the crypt are elaborately carved.

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 burial places of the great Tuscan dukes from the Medici family. Michelangelo at that time was in a rather difficult position, being, on the one hand, a supporter of the Republicans, who fought a fierce struggle with the Medici, on the other hand, he was a court sculptor working for his enemies.

The master erected a temple and a crypt for the family, which, in case of victory, 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 stairs you can get to the room with the tombs.

Sarcophagus of the Duke of Neymour

The muted colors of the room and the thin rays of light breaking through a small window in the ceiling create a feeling of sadness and peace in the ancestral tomb. In one of the niches on the wall there is a marble sculpture of Giuliano Duke of Neymour, the youngest son of Lorenzo de' Medici. The figure of a young man sitting on a throne, dressed in the armor of a Roman soldier, and his head thoughtfully turned to the side. On both sides of the sarcophagus, majestic statues are reclining, personifying the day and night of the work of Michelangelo.

Sarcophagus of the Duke of Urbino

On the opposite side of the wall, opposite the coffin of Giuliano, there is a sculpture of Lorenzo, Duke of Urbino, grandson of Lorenzo Medici. The Duke of Urbino, Lorenzo, is depicted as an ancient Greek warrior sitting in armor over his tomb, and majestic sculptures recreating morning and evening are located at his feet.

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 marble statues of "Madonna and Child" by Michelangelo, "Saint Cosmas" by Angelo di Montorsoli and "Saint Domian" by Rafael di Montelupo. The entire composition of the Chapel is united by the rapidly running moments of life and the endless flow of time.

Chapel of the Princes

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

Various types of marble and semi-precious stones were used for wall cladding. Thin stone plates were selected according to the ornament and tightly fastened at the joints. The installed sarcophagi are decorated with the Medici family coats of arms. 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 the value of the interest rate on loans issued. Mosaic tiles in the lower part of the wall are represented by coats of arms of Tuscan cities. Only two sculptures are installed in the recesses - these are Dukes Ferdinand I and Cosimo II. Due to the fact that the Chapel was not finally completed, other niches were left 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 beginning of the collection of the manuscript collection was laid by Cosimo the Elder Medici and continued by Lorenzo I Medici, after whom the literary repository is named. To get to the library, you need to cross the well-groomed churchyard.

Excursions

The reign of the Medici dukes lasted about 300 years and ended in the middle of the 18th century. The Medici skillfully used art and architecture to demonstrate their wealth and power. Court sculptors, architects and artists received orders for the construction of palaces and the production of 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 of the branches of the dynasty paid for the construction and reconstruction of a certain area in the basilica. Someone from the clan was honored to be in the Chapel of the Princes, and someone rests in the niches of the crypt. All the subtleties and interweaving 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 clan of the Medici dukes from the 15th to the 18th century created the history of Florence. Their families included popes and two queens of France. The Medici were not only influential rulers, but also patrons who patronized the great creators of the Renaissance. Possessing great power and untold wealth, the Medici dukes, according to historical evidence, tried at first to buy, but when they were 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 gems are used to decorate the octagonal tomb of the Dukes? Who owned and how were the jewelry and granite workshops of Florence used? How were the mosaic surfaces of various rocks connected to each other, 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 tour with a professional guide.

Great Tombs of the Medici

Two years after the death of Pope Leo X, the grandson of Lorenzo the Magnificent, Pope Clement XVII, continued to finance the construction of the 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 at the selection of blocks for his work.

The allegorical sculptures of Day, Night, Morning and Evening in the Medici Chapel are 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 Chapels - this is possible only with the help of competent guides and individual excursions.

Medici and Renaissance

Freedom of creative choice was possible in Republican Florence, but since the 15th century, all talented craftsmen were completely dependent on the Medici court. Michelangelo was a supporter of the Republicans and opposed the tyranny of the Medici, while fulfilling multiple orders of the family. Fearing the ducal wrath, the sculptor continued to decorate 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 stayed there until the Pope forgave his rebellion. After these events, in 1534 the master moved to Rome without completing 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 the students of Michelangelo. The great Michelangelo himself (1475-1564), a 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 overlays made by the master. The plot for their design was the biblical themes that describe the life of St. Lawrence, the Garden of Gethsemane and the Descent from the Cross. Being an unpretentious man, Donatello did not work for the sake of money, he was content with modest food and did not wear rich outfits.

As I already said, before visiting the gastronomic exhibition, the girls and I visited the Medici-Riccardi Palace.
It is located on Cavour Street (formerly known as Via Larga - "Broad Street").

The text in italics is from Henry Morton's Walks in Italy.

Massive palaces of bankers, especially after dark, look very impressive. At night, they seem to move closer to each other, whispering, probably, about the royal bankruptcy. Like all buildings that deal with money, they look wary.

The Medici Palace gave birth to Italian palazzos. It was the first palace built in the Renaissance style. The fashion for this style spread to all the big and small cities of Italy, after which it stepped over the Alps and burst into the cities of Europe. Roughly processed stones or the so-called rustics of the lower floor, reminiscent of the fortress walls of Etruscan cities, have become an indispensable element of the architectural design of rich mansions, government offices and clubs around the world. The Medici Palace is still very attractive, although its area has grown compared to what it was during the life of the rulers.

On March 28, 1659, the Marquis Gabriello Riccardi signed a contract to acquire the Medici Palace, becoming the owner of the Palazzo and three other nearby buildings owned by the Medici.
Marquis Riccardi immediately set about rebuilding the Palace and expanding it.
He adhered to two main principles: the exterior of the building should be preserved in the Renaissance style, while the interior decoration was revised in the Baroque style, which then became fashionable.
In 1814, the Riccardi sold the palace to the family of Lauren, the Grand Duke of Tuscany.
In 1874, the building was acquired by the Province of Florence and opened here the Prefecture of the city.

Cosimo the Elder built this massive building in 1440, and for several hundred years all the older Medici lived there, until, during the reign of Piero the Unfortunate, they were driven out of there, and all the treasures that could be carried away were plundered by the mob. The old banker rejected Brunelleschi's project: he considered that the building was too elegant, and therefore would cause envy. They say that Brunelleschi was offended, or maybe angry and broke his model into small pieces, but Michelozzo, Cosimo's favorite, presented a project that the banker liked. So on the corner of one of the busiest streets - Via Cavour - the first Renaissance mansion appeared. Other architects looked up to this building: if they built a palace for another banker that surpassed the luxury of Cosimo's house, they would immediately say that this banker was too conceited.

There is no exact explanation of the meaning of the Medici coat of arms. One of the versions refers to the manuscript of Cosimo Baroncelli of the XV-XVI centuries, which is stored in the library of the Medici Palace. The legend tells that the Medici family is connected with Charlemagne. A certain Averardo de Medici, commander of the army of Charlemagne, expelled the Lombards from Tuscany and with them the giant Mugello. In hand-to-hand combat with a monstrous giant, Averardo defended himself with a shield. Mugello struck the shield with his club, with iron balls attached to it. Thus, the traces of these balls on the shield became the coat of arms of the famous family. And the area where later the Medici had their first lands is called Mugello.

After the crushing power of the facade, getting into the courtyard, you feel an unprecedented lightness, which is given to the building by three orders, as if flying up.

The inner courtyard is also called the "Courtyard with columns" or "Courtyard of Michelozzo".
The harmony of the architectural design of the courtyard creates an effect of symmetry, which is not here.
The first order is a covered arched gallery with columns decorated with Corinthian capitals, a frieze with medallions, Medici coats of arms and mythological scenes (Bertoldo di Giovanni), with festoons decorated with monochrome graffito (Maso di Bartolomeo 1452).
According to the second order, there are windows separated by a column, repeating the windows of the outer facade of the building.
The third order is an arched gallery with Ionic columns, currently glazed.

Soooo, not Eurydice yet, but Orpheus will be soon.

On the southern wall of the courtyard, on a monumental stone cartouche, there is an inscription of 1715. The inscription glorifies the history of the Palace, the greatness of the Medici and does not disregard the Marquis Riccardi with their grandiose contribution to the renovation of the building.
On the walls are also exhibits from the archaeological collection of Riccardi: busts, heads, fragments of reliefs and Roman sarcophagi.

Under the arches of the first order there is a sculpture "Orpheus pacifying Cerberus by singing" (Baccio Bandinelli, 1515). The statue rises on an exquisite pedestal with the emblems and coats of arms of the Medici (Benedetto da Rovenzzano).

The garden here is regular: geometric flower beds, paths with a mosaic pattern, and in the old days there were trimmed bushes and trees - in the form of dogs, deer and elephants. In the center stood Judith by Donatello. Now she is on the steps of the Palazzo Vecchio.

Now there are tubs of citrus fruits and... we.

We left the Magi Chapel for the last.

"We were in no hurry to get down to what interested us most. No, we weren't in a hurry at all! We felt like gourmets. We didn't pounce on food. We inhaled the aromas, we rolled our eyes and smacked, we rubbed our hands, walking around, we looking forward to…" *

First we visited the exhibition of the jeweler Iznav Oruam. She was in the gallery adjoining the garden.

Then we moved on to an exhibition of art objects from private collections. It was called "Le stanze dei tesori".
I didn’t get all the photographs, but there was furniture, and armor, and clay products, and paintings by Fattori, De Chirico.

Arturo Martini "The Sailor's Wife" 1930.

Agnolo di Cosimo (nickname - Bronzino) Portrait of Laura Battiferri 1555-1560.
Yes, this is the same Bronzino that I wrote about, about his verse about panzanella.

Only then did we go up to the second floor and admire the interior decoration.

If you go to the palace, hoping to see the personal belongings of the Medici there, you will be disappointed: even the traces left on the marble steps are not related not only to the older, but also to the younger Medici, since the entire palace was rebuilt when in In the 17th century, the building was bought by the Marchioness Riccardi. All Italian palaces are designed for a large family, but the buildings do not seem so huge when you remember that six or seven sons settled in them with their wives, children and servants.

Hall of Charles VIII.
In 1494, Italy was occupied by the troops of King Charles VIII. Florence, led by Piero di Gino Capponi, stubbornly resisted the French. Threatened by a French attack, Capponi replied to ransom requests: "If you blow the trumpets, we will ring the bells." It happened in this hall, and the phrase went down in history.

Well done Piero! I would have said the same!

The premises of the second, front, floor are richly decorated: the walls are lined with marble, the gilded ceilings are decorated with moldings, the floors are covered with marble tiles, the windows and doors have relief frames, the furniture and doors are inlaid with mosaics made of wood of different colors.

In his old age, Cosimo grieved because his family was small. Son and grandson died; a sick heir, Piero Gout, and two grandchildren remained in the house. They heard him sigh somehow as they carried him in an armchair, smashed with gout, through the palace: “Too big a house for such a small family!”

Giordano Gallery or Gallery of Mirrors, it is also on the first floor.
The room is decorated with a frescoed vault made by Luca Giordano between 1682 and 1685.
Frescoes to the Neapolitan artist were ordered by the grandson of the Marquis Gabriello Riccardi - Francesco. The frescoes depict allegorical figures.

Loriana admires the ceiling frescoes.

In the central part of the vault is the main composition "The Triumph of the Medici on the Clouds of Olympus".

You can see better here.
Jupiter is at the top of the cloudy Olympus, and around it are characters who can be recognized as members of the Medici family.
The central character with a lion at his feet is the Grand Duke of Tuscany Cosimo III de Medici.
On either side of him are his sons: Gian Gastone (left) and Ferdinando de Medici (right), both on white horses.
Below, in red clothes - Francesco Maria de Medici - brother of Cosimo III.
Above, on both sides of the god, you can see two characters, above whose heads the stars are burning.
These stars symbolize the moons of Jupiter discovered by Galleleo Gallelei, which he dedicated to the Medici family. He called them the Medician stars (Stellae Medicae lat.)

Mirror (find Lena!)

Before reaching the Chapel of the Magi, we met another pleasant vision: "Madonna and Child" by Filippo Lippi. (1460-1469)

Fra Filippo himself was a controversial character.
He was born in Florence c. 1406.
In 1421 he became a monk and lived in a Carmelite monastery in Florence until 1431.
In 1442 Filippo became a priest at San Chirico near Florence.
In 1455 Filippo Lippi was convicted of forgery and resigned his seat in San Chirico.
Appointed in 1456 as a chaplain in a convent in Prato, he fled with one of the nuns, Lucrezia Buti, who bore him two children: Filippino in 1457 and Alexandra in 1465. Later, after receiving special permission from the pope, Filippo and Lucrezia got married. Despite the scandalous behavior, Filippo enjoyed the patronage of the Medici family and received orders from them throughout his creative life.
Filippo Lippi died in Spoleto in 1469.

On the reverse side is a sketch of a male head, presumably the head of Gerolomo (I did not get a photo).
It is impossible to remain indifferent to this embodiment of maternal tenderness and light warmth.

Finally, holding our breath, we went into the chapel of the Magi. This is a small room, consisting of two rooms. It felt like we were in a fairy tale box. The procession of the Magi moved slowly: some young men and old men looked at us from the walls, while others went about their business and paid no attention to us. Only the soft tapping of hooves was let into the silence of this intimate chapel. There was a smell of laurel and white rose hips.
Being there, you fall out of reality for a while. Faces - so distant and, at the same time, so close; they can still be seen on the Florentine streets today. Only the clothes are different. I want to consider everything, capture every detail in my memory.

The chapel remained as the Medicis knew it. I sat down on a seat on the kliros, admiring Gozzoli's fresco "Three Kings on the Road to Bethlehem." You will see a reproduction of this fresco in almost every book devoted to Italian painting. The same barbarian as the one who made the door in Leonard's "Last Supper" cut a window and a door in this fresco as well.

Each of the three kings has its own tuple. These units are built according to the scheme used in Florence during games and jousting.
The whole procession of the Magi is divided into three groups, each of which has its own dominant color in clothing: white for Caspar, green for Balthazar and red for Melchior.
According to the knightly code, each squad has 12 people.
Messer is a signor on a horse (in this case, a king).
Three mounted pages ride ahead, it is their duty to announce the arrival of the signor.
Two knights: one with a sword (the symbol of power lo spartharius), and the second bears the gifts of messer.
Six pages on foot with light weapons (bows, crossbows, spears), they walk in pairs and escort the Messer.

On the altar since 1929, is the "Adoration of the Child" by one of the students of Filippo Lippi. This is a copy from the work of Lippi himself, which is now in the Berlin-Dahlem art gallery.

I think that this is the most beautiful procession against the backdrop of the Italian landscape. Three kings are heading to Tuscany Bethlehem. So they came out of the gates of bright cities and, having descended from the mountain peak along a serpentine road, together with their retinues they pass through forests with conical trees, and the road goes further, runs up a humpbacked bridge, slowly passes through a meadow, goes past vineyards and cypresses. The landscape seems to be taken from a fairy tale. It is hard to believe that anyone here can be unhappy.
Travelers ride in reverent silence. Neither the singing of the trumpet nor the gentle sound of the flute breaks it. The saddles are covered with red velvet, the riders hold embroidered bridles, and the horses are decorated with gold. One of the riders, descending from the mountain, lets the horse gallop when he sees a deer; another is chasing a leopard. The falcon that has just killed a hare stands almost under the hooves of the horses, and the duck swims in the stream, not paying attention to the hunters.

One of the three kings, a white-bearded old man in crimson clothes, rides a spotted mule.
(Melchior)

The other king is a middle-aged man with a chestnut beard. Over the crown he put on a hat with ostrich feathers. He saddled a white stallion.
(Balthazar)

The third is a fair-haired young man in a luxurious golden robe, the spurs are also gilded. His horse is proud of its rider.
(Caspar)

In the picture, people do not see smiles, but the Tuscan landscape, smiling, looks at serious pilgrims who are making their way to Bethlehem.

The guide told a legend, recently debunked, that the fresco commemorated the congress in Florence, and the young king was Lorenzo the Magnificent. I didn't really believe it before. Why would the Medici family perpetuate a theological dispute that never ended? Cosimo financed it out of friendship for the needy pope, prudently taking the city of Sansepolcro as collateral! It seems that bankers, accustomed to writing off bad debts, would be glad to forget about that infamous convention, and not see it every day in their own chapel. And the guide continued to talk about what a magnificent sight it was - a meeting of representatives of the Greek and Latin churches. Gottsoli probably witnessed this event and captured it on his fresco. In fact, there was nothing magnificent there, and the inhabitants of Ferrara, the city where this convention began, were very disappointed by the sight of Greek bishops in black and purple cassocks and monks in shabby gray cassocks. Their own Latin bishops and abbots looked much more picturesque. When the congress moved to Florence, the solemn ceremony was spoiled by rain. Emperor John VIII rode under an umbrella through the wet streets.

The guide, however, insisted on a magnificent sight. He said that the old king was Patriarch Joseph; a middle-aged man is an emperor; and the young man is Lorenzo the Magnificent. With a portrait of a young king on a large lampshade, I lived for twenty years, and I had enough time to ask myself the question: could a person who saw the death mask of Lorenzo imagine that the rough face of the Medici with wide nostrils could at least something, even in the most tender childhood, to resemble a blond youth from a fresco?

In 1960, I read with pleasure that, while thinking about the story that connected Gozzoli's fresco with the congress in Florence, E. Gombrich drew attention to the French guidebook, published in 1888, "Guide to Florence." “Wishing to revive the events of a foggy past and give them credibility,” writes Mr. Gombrich, “tourists and even historians seized on this interpretation, not paying attention to its complete improbability.”
The author further reports that Gozzoli borrowed all these groups, including the three kings, from the famous painting by Gentile de Fabriano, painted on the same subject. This picture can be seen in the Uffizi. In the painting, dated 1423 - twenty-six years before Lorenzo's birth - you will see a handsome young king, the king from the fresco of Gozzo-li. Gozzoli was obviously fascinated by this figure.

He painted it again in Pisa on a fresco, unfortunately destroyed. Gozzoli, by the way, is not the only artist who copied the graceful youth. I think I will not be mistaken if I say that I recognized him, like the king of middle age, in the charming fresco of Fra Angelico, painted on the walls of the cell of St. Mark, the one where Cosimo the Elder prayed.

Has it occurred to anyone that the "Adoration of the Magi" might have been Ko-Zimo's favorite religious theme? This can be understood: who, if not he, gave the church so much gold and incense? The fresco painted by Botticelli depicts Cosimo himself. He is presented in the guise of one of the kneeling kings. The fresco was painted a few years after the death of Cosimo for the altar of the church of Santa Maria Novella.

1. Lorenzo Medici
2. Angelo Poliziano
3. Giovanni Pico della Mirandola
4. Customer painting Gaspare Lamy
5. Cosimo Medici
6. Pierrot "Gout"
7. Giovanni Medici
8 Giuliano Medici
9. Filippo Strozzi
10. Giovanni Agriropulo
11. Sandro Botticelli
12. Lorenzo Tornabuoni

The guide finished the story, and I regretted that I did not have the decisiveness of a person who, out of love for the truth, forgets about embarrassment and publicly objects to someone.

Now a little about the characters depicted in the frescoes. (Based on research by art historians).

1 - Cosimo the Elder de Medici
2 - Piero Podagric de Medici, the harness of his white horse is decorated with family emblems and the motto "Semper" (always).
3 - Carlo di Cosimo de Medici
4 - Galeazzo Maria Sforza
5 - Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta
6 - Cosimino di Giovanni di Cosimo di Medici (?) was already in poor health at the age of six and died soon after, in November 1459.
7 - Lorenzo di Piero de Medici, nickname - Magnificent
8 - Giuliano di Piero de' Medici
9 - Gentile Becky, Lorenzo and Giuliano's mentor
10 - Giuliano di Piero de Medici (?)
11 - Giovanni di Francesco Tornabuoni (?), uncle of Lorenzo and Giuliano, brother of their mother Lucrezia, representative of the Medici bank in Rome
12 - Giovanni di Cosimo de Medici (?)
13 - Benozzo Gozzoli
14 - Pope Pio II Piccolomini

Does the central character in a blue headdress remind you of Putin?

Benozzo Gozzoli, on his cap it says Opus Benotii(work by Benozzo).

15. Benozzo Gozzoli (?) second self-portrait
16. Neri di Gino Capponi (?) diplomat, historical writer, supporter of Cosimo de Medici
17. Bernardo Giugni (?) Personal friend of Cosimo, a prominent figure in the Florentine Republic.
18. Francesco Sacetti (?) in 1447, director of the branches of the Medici bank in Geneva and Leon, raises his hand with open fingers, which at that time meant 5000.
19. Agnolo Tani (?) in 1450-1465 director of the branch of the Medici bank in Bruges.
20. Dietisalvi Neroni (?) at that time an associate of the Medici, later became a sworn enemy and participated in a conspiracy against Pierrot.
21. Roberto di Niccolo Martelli (?) Director of the Medici bank in Rome from 1439-1464.
22. Benozzo Gozzoli (?) third self-portrait.
23.Luca Pitti (?) In 1458, a gonfaloniere, appointed to this position by order of Cosimo, later went over to the side of the enemies of the Medici and participated in a conspiracy against Piero Gout.

The palace is open to visitors every day except Wednesday. The ticket costs 7 euros.

There are over 70 museums in Florence and there is no other place in the world with such a dense concentration of objects related to art. This, in turn, creates a real problem of choice among travelers who visit the city for only 1-2 days. To make it easier for you to navigate, BlogoItaliano has selected 7 museums in Florence that deserve attention in the first place.

The Uffizi Gallery is almost more famous for its queues than for the masterpieces that are stored within its walls.

Millions of tourists from all over the world are ready to stand at the entrance for hours to see the famous paintings by Botticelli and Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael, Titian and Caravaggio, Durer and El Greco.

With 50 rooms, 2,000 exhibits and 2 million visitors a year, this is the most famous gallery in Florence, which is also considered to be the oldest art museum in Europe.

The first collections were exhibited here in 1581 under Francesco I de' Medici - almost immediately after the completion of the gallery.

The Uffizi Gallery is 50 rooms and 2000 masterpieces

Paradoxically, the building was originally conceived for completely different purposes - it was planned to place the offices of the Florentine judges here (hence the name "Uffizi", i.e. "offices"). The museum collection became available to the general public almost two centuries later - in 1765.

The Birth of Venus by Botticelli, The Annunciation by Leonardo da Vinci, The Holy Family by Michelangelo, The Portrait of Leo X by Raphael, Venus of Urbino by Titian, Bacchus by Caravaggio are just a few of the masterpieces for which it is worth standing in long queues at the gallery Uffizi.

You can write about the Gallery endlessly and BlogoItaliano. By the way, tickets to the Gallery can be purchased online. This will save you time in Florence and allow you to see more.

• Opening hours: Tue-Sun: 8:15-18:50
• Museum closed: January 1st, May 1st, December 25th and Mondays.
• Address: Piazzale degli Uffizi.

Bargello Palace

Just as the Uffizi Gallery is famous for its collection of paintings, the Bargello Palace is famous for its sculptures.

The National Museum of Sculpture was opened in an old building of the 13th century in 1865. Prior to this, the Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo (1255) was used as the residence of the chief of police, as well as the detention of prisoners and the placement of soldiers' barracks.

Connoisseurs of sculpture will find here one of the first works of Michelangelo - a marble sculpture of the god of wine "Bacchus", a bronze "David" by Donatello, as well as numerous masterpieces by Brunelleschi, Cellini and Giambologna.

The Sculpture Museum is housed in an old building of the 13th century.

The sculptural collection is complemented by a collection of tapestries and Arabic carpets, precious stones, terracotta and ivory figurines, as well as an exhibition of knightly vestments and weapons.

• Opening hours: Mon-Sun: 8:15-17:00;
• Closed: every 2nd and 4th Sunday and every 1st, 3rd and 5th Monday of the month
• Address: Via del Proconsolo, 4

• Opening hours: Tue-Sun: 8:15-18:50, Mon – day off
• Address: Via Ricasoli, 58-60

Dante House Museum

It’s worth mentioning right away: the building in which the Dante House Museum is located today was built only a little over a century ago, in the 1910s.

Therefore, telling your friends that you walked through the same rooms and stairs where Dante Alighieri once composed his great works will not work. But you can definitely plunge into the life and work of the great poet of the Middle Ages and get acquainted with the historical and cultural environment of his time.

However, you should not despair either: the real Dante's house was once really in this place.

The house and street corner where Dante Alighieri lived were restored in 1965.

The construction of the museum building was preceded by the painstaking work of archaeologists to collect information about how Dante's house actually looked and where exactly it was located. By 1965, not only the house itself was restored, but the entire corner of the street where Dante Alighieri lived.

On three floors of the Dante Alighieri House-Museum, copies of manuscripts and illustrations for his works, as well as furniture, paintings, weapons and other items of that era are stored.

A separate part of the exposition is devoted to the beautiful Beatrice, the main character of the Divine Comedy and a real woman whom Dante met in the nearby church of Santa Maria.

• Opening hours: Tue-Fri: 10:00-17:00, Sat-Sun: 10:00-18:00 (from November 1 to March 31), Mon-Sun: 10:00-18:00 (from April 1 to October 30 )
• Address: Via Santa Margherita, 1

Palazzo Vecchio

The ancient building of the XIV century, which for a long time served as the residence of the authorities, continues to perform administrative functions today. However, most of the fortress, nevertheless, is occupied by a museum.

The tower of the palace, rising almost 100 meters above the city, once belonged to the Feraboschi family and only later was included in the palace project.

Bells of the 13th century have been preserved here to this day, but the large clock of the 17th century decorating one of the walls of the tower is only a copy of the original product of the Florentine master Bernardo of the 14th century.

The harsh-looking Romanesque fortress for a long time served no less severe purposes: prisoners were kept in the tower of the palace (including Cosimo de Medici and Savonarola), and conspirators were hung from the windows.

The museum occupies a large part of the ancient fortress (XIV century)

Since 1540, the palace began to belong to the Medici family, but after 25 years, the Duke of Tuscany Cosimo I moved his residence to the Palazzo Pitti, and the Palazzo Ducale (ie the Ducal Palace) turned into the Palazzo Vecchio (ie the Old Palace).

The Old Palace Museum is primarily devoted to the history of Florence, but here you can also find a number of famous paintings and sculptures, including frescoes by Vasari and Bronzino, statues by Michelangelo and Donatello, as well as tapestries, an old map of the world and violins by Stradivari and Amati .

The building also houses the "Museum for Boys", where young visitors are introduced to the history and art of the city in a playful way.

• Opening hours:
• Museum and archaeological site: Mon-Sun: 9:00-19:00 (October to March), Mon-Sun: 9:00-23:00 (April to September), Thurs - a day off.
• Mezzanine Loeser Request: Mon-Sun: 9:00-19:00, Thu and holidays: 9:00-14:00
• Tower and fortifications(for persons over 6 years old): Mon-Sun: 10:00-17:00, Thu: 10:00-14:00 (from October to March); Mon-Sun: 09:00-21:00, Thu: 09:00-14:00 (from April to September)
• Address: Piazza della Signoria

Museum of San Marco

The Museum of San Marco occupies the building of the former Dominican monastery, rebuilt according to the project of the beloved architect Cosimo the Elder Medici - Michelozzo (1396-1472).

The monk Beato Angelico lived here for a long time, and today the museum has a complete collection of his paintings, including the famous "Annunciation" and "Last Judgment".

The museum is located in the building of the former Dominican monastery

The wall paintings in the cells on the second floor, made partly by Fra Angelico himself, partly by his students, have also been preserved. In addition to frescoes, the museum also houses a number of manuscripts.

". Jewels of the famous Florentine dynasty are brought from the best museums of the “cradle of the Renaissance”.

This family was nicknamed the "Godfathers of the Renaissance" for a reason. Coming from the common people, they had almost unlimited power over their native Florence, put relatives on the papal throne and even reached the throne of France. For those who have at hand the richest bank in Europe, nothing is impossible. But just as decisively, they counted florins for patronage and sponsorship of geniuses. Passionate collectors, the Medici left their native city with one of the greatest collections of painting and sculpture - the Uffizi. Not to mention the countless pieces of arts and crafts that eventually scattered throughout the Florentine museums. Part of this collection - cameos and vases, coins and medals, objects made of crystal, bronze and ivory, collected over the centuries - has now been brought to Moscow.

All exhibits of the exhibition are arranged in chronological order, so that a meaningful story is obtained - not so much about things, but about the people behind them. About the rise and fall of the family and the tastes of its extraordinary representatives, whose portraits are presented here. Moreover, this plot begins without overclocking - immediately from the collection of Lorenzo the Magnificent (1449-1492), the most charismatic of the Medici.

Passion for art was in his blood: even his grandfather Lorenzo, banker and politician Cosimo the Elder, generously donated to the construction of palaces, libraries, churches. Under him, Florence entered its golden age, the reign of Lorenzo was its culmination. The nickname Magnificent was just a polite form of address, but it suited Lorenzo perfectly. An ugly man with a crooked nose, thin hair, an earthy complexion, as he looks at us from portraits, Lorenzo was disarmingly smart and charming, wrote good poetry himself and sensed talent in others a mile away. Not without reason, during the years of his reign, Botticelli and Michelangelo lived in the Palazzo Medici almost on family rights. Curiously, with such a close friendship with artists, what was most dear to him was not the pictorial or sculptural part of his rich collection, but the collection of stones.

The interest of the first Medici in things "in antique taste", including jewelry stones, gems, is understandable. Here and the Renaissance love for everything connected with antiquity, and the desire to join the glory of ancient Rome. The Medici themselves could not boast of blue blood: they descended from the court physician of Charlemagne. But they ruled the Florentine Republic and, if only for this reason, considered themselves the successors of the legendary leaders of the Roman Republic.

"Treasury of Me. Source: “Treasury of Me.

On one of the “antique” cameos brought to Moscow, there is an image carved from carnelian carnelian Savonarola, a fanatical Dominican monk who predicted the decline of the Medici family and actually ruled the city after the death of Lorenzo. This cameo was one of the most valuable items in the collection of the next great Medici - Cosimo I (1519-1574). By the time Cosimo was called to power, memories of the dark time of Savonarola's reign and its terrible end, when the preacher was first hanged, then burned, and the ashes thrown from the Ponte Vecchio bridge for fidelity, had faded. The stern profile of Cosimo himself, who was the first of the Medicis to become the official ruler of Florence and ruled the city with an iron fist, can be seen on the cameo, where he is depicted with his wife Eleanor of Toledo.

During the reign of Cosimo's son, Grand Duke Francesco I (1541-1587), the Medici collection was replenished with vases in the form of animals and birds and other bizarre products made of semi-precious stones - "pietre dure". Mineralogy was the Grand Duke's passion - as were other natural sciences. In the Palazzo Vecchio, where by that time the Medici had moved to live, and now you can see the Studiola Francesco I - a gloomy room where he retired for alchemical experiments, and at the same time kept a collection of minerals. At the initiative of the Grand Duke, workshops appeared in the city that produced lovely little things from rock crystal, vessels from semiprecious stones, and even porcelain. These workshops gained worldwide fame during the reign of Francesco's younger brother, Ferdinand I (1549-1609), when they mastered the production of Florentine mosaics - “paintings” from precious stone species. The exhibition presents a portrait of a handsome gentleman in a frill, made in this laborious technique. This is Ferdinand I himself - a wise politician, an opera lover. And at the same time, as scientists recently found out, the poisoner of his brother Francesco, who poured arsenic on him.