Tour Details
- Duration
- 3.5 hours
- Product Type
- Tour
- Venues
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- Medici Chapels
- Museum of San Marco
- Palazzo Medici-Riccardi
- Magi Chapel
Photos & Highlights
- Experience Florence through the eyes of the Medici family
- Led by an expert art or social historian
Select a date
Tour Description
The name Medici immediately brings up images of power, intrigue, and artistic flourishing during the Renaissance.
During this Florence Medici tour, led by an art or social historian, we'll follow along in the footsteps of the Medicis, visiting several key sites that the family has owned or sponsored, tracing their history from the republic to the duchy, from wealthy merchants to rulers of a kingdom.
We begin from the roots of the Medici family history, with Cosimo the Elder in the 1430s, visiting the quiet Convent of San Marco - the first example of the Medici’s great patronage of the arts and one of the first public libraries in the world. Proceeding with a visit to the museum, which hosts the greatest works of Fra Angelico, we will see the monks' former private cells, including the cell made specifically for Cosimo's own meditation.
From there we will proceed to the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi, the seat of Medici power in Florence for over a century, and make a special visit to the Chapel of the Magi, decorated by Benozzo Gozzoli, considered a Renaissance fresco masterpiece.
To conclude the tour we will reach San Lorenzo Square home to the iconic unfinished church, and enter the Medici Chapels to explore the pinnacle of the Medicis' art patronage and view the work of Michelangelo in the family’s chapel he designed, featuring the tombs of Lorenzo il Magnifico and his brother Giuliano.
This walk will provide you with a deep understanding of the Medici family's connection to the city of Florence, and how the relationship between political power and art has played such an important role in the formation of Florence as we know it today.
- You have been to Florence or you are a first-time visitor and want to better understand the connection between the past and the present of the city
- You are intrigued about the Medici family's past.
- You want to venture off the beaten path with a thorough exploration of the less-traveled routes.
- Church and Museum of San Marco
- Palazzo Medici Riccardi
- Magi Chapel
- Medici Chapel
Tickets
You have pre-paid for your ticket to the Medici Chapels and the Palazzo Medici Riccardi. You will buy entrance tickets to the San Marco Museum on-site. It is best if you bring cash with you in case cards are not accepted.
Additional Trip-Planning Resources
- For more information on planning your travels to Florence, take a read through our Context Stories.
- If you are looking to learn more about Florence prior to a visit, check out our online lectures at Context Learning.
Do you reserve headsets for this tour?
Depending on your group size, we may be required by the venue to order headsets in which case you’ll see a “Headset Fee” added to your order.
Is this tour wheelchair-friendly?
This tour can be adapted for clients with mobility difficulties or who use wheelchairs, with the only exception of the Magi Chapel.
Book with confidence — see Context's flexible cancellation policy here.
Where You'll Start
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236 Reviews
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Our tour was great, our guide knew the history but also the nuances that make that history so compelling.
Linda
Apr. 21, 2024
Kate was amazing! She brought the Medici family history to life. Would highly recommend her to others.
Stephanie
Mar. 26, 2024
The Florence Medici History Tour was fantastic, we thoroughly enjoyed it!
We visited places we hadn't seen before in Florence, and learnt so much interesting and new information. Irene was incredibly knowledgable and taught us so much about this fascinating family.
Emma
Mar. 25, 2024