Medici Magnificence

The history and artistic patronage of the godfathers of the renaissance.

Duration: 4.5 hours
The Medici family ruled Florence for over three hundred years. In the 1400s, this wealthy & influential banking family managed to gain control of the Florentine republic & ruled the city from the wings. In the 1500s, after being expelled from the city twice, they became the undisputed absolute rulers and controlled the new duchy of Tuscany as the Grand Dukes. The Medici always understood the power of the visual image and the political importance of artistic patronage in order to impress, persuade & intimidate adversaries both local & foreign.

On this guided tour we accompany the Medici family and their rise to power, visiting the San Marco monastery & their palace Medici-Riccardi, both of which were built in the new renaissance style of the first half of the 1400s and decorated by the leading artists of the time (option of extending the tour for 30 minutes adding in a visit on the inside of the palace to see the frescoed chapel of the family with Adoration of the Magi’ scenes by Benozzo Gozzoli).
Behind the family church of San Lorenzo, we visit the Medici Chapels, commissioned by Michelangelo at the beginning of the 1500s. The artistic patronage assumed by the family changes as we change centuries. The family, having just returned to rule the city after being exiled, no longer hold back in displaying their obvious intentions of ruling with total power. The Medici pope commissioned Michelangelo to create a lavish display for the tombs of his ancestors & the subsequent Medici Grand Dukes of Tuscany commissioned a family mausoleum (the Chapel of the Princes) entirely constructed in semi precious stones & rivalling all others in Europe.

The San Lorenzo church is the fourth site in this morning tour that will be visited if one of the above three is closed on the day the tour is booked (or is specifically requested). The renovated magnificent Renaissance church designed by Filippo Brunelleschi was from its very concept conceived to be a manifestation of the family’s place in society and power. The church was the burial place for nearly all of the Medici members, male and female, over their three hundred circa year rule of Florence admission is a veritable treasure chest of art.

CONTINUE THE HISTORY OF THE MEDICI FAMILY WITH THE NEXT CHAPTER ….. THE GRAND DUKES 

Continue with a further 4hours the following day follow the Medici history as the family became Grand dukes and visit the two Medici ducal palaces; the Palazzo Vecchio (ex-Medieval town hall) and the Palatina gallery inside the Pitti Palace.

The tour is full of political symbolism, great art (Bronzino, Raphael, Titian, Rubens, to name a few), stories of intrigue and aristocratic grandeur.

 

 

Meeting point:

In front of the entrance to San Marco monastery next to the Church in piazza San Marco.

All tours that we organise are private. We do not organise group tours.

The cost of the 4.5 hour tour:

€630 for parties of 1-5 people (excluding admission fees)
€720 for parties of 6-9 people (excluding admission fees)
€810 for parties of 10 people or more (excluding admission fees)

ADMISSION FEES to sites not included in the hourly rate. Admission fees to be paid on the day at the ticket office with guide.

If there are under 18 year olds  in your party please ensure that you have a digital copy of the passport to show for proof of age for the reduced ticket cost.

Headsets

Groups of 4 or more people will require headsets, necessary for most of the museums and recommended for city walks due to surrounding noise.

 

Freya’s Florence will book these in advance and they will be distributed at the beginning of the tour and used for the entire duration of the tour. For parties up to 15 people the total cost for a half day hire is 30€ or for a full day tour the cost is 40€.

For parties greater than 15pax the cost of the individual headset hire for the half-day rental is 30€ + 2€ per person.

Payment:

Prepayment is required for guided tour costs. This is done as a security measure so that large sums of cash are not carried or exchanged on the day of the tour. We use a secure payment system provided by SumUP, you do not need to have a SumUP account to use it, you can sign in as a guest and use a credit card. SumUP charges a 2.5% handling/service fee which will be added to your invoice.

Timed-entry ticket reservations will be made in advance for both the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi and the Medici Chapels.

There is a fee for the timed-entry made for the Medici Chapels of 3euro per person payable to the gallery at the time of ticket reservations. We will send an invoice for this cost at the time of tour confirmation.

There is a fee for the timed-entry ticket reservation at the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi of 1.50 euro per person + the ticket cost which requires payment at the time of making the booking. There is a maximum group size for inside the chapel at any given time of 8 people + the guide with a time limit of 5-10minutes inside the chapel.

Cancellation Policy:

Cancellations or date changes made less than 1 week prior to the tour start time require full payment. Cancellations or date changes made within 2 weeks of your tour date will require half payment. Tours proceed in inclement weather. Museum reservation fees and pre-purchased tickets are non-refundable. SumUP handling/service fees are non-refundable.