Sift fact from fiction with our walking tour of sites featured in the acclaimed series “Medici: Masters of Florence” to find out the truth about the characters played by Richard Madden, Dustin Hoffman and Annabel Scholey. In fact, the Medici family broke new ground to champion art and science, and in doing so inaugurated a new era — the Renaissance —, paving the way for the likes of Brunelleschi, Donatello, Botticelli and Michelangelo to flourish.
Our quest begins in
Piazza della Signoria, the open-air art gallery whose sculptures reveal deeper meanings linked to members of the Medici family, followed by a quick peek into the courtyard of
Palazzo Vecchio to appreciate the towering
Torre di Arnolfo, where Cosimo the Elder was imprisoned.
Strolling through Dante Alighieri’s district towards
Piazza del Duomo, we come face to face with the mighty
Dome of Florence’s cathedral, discovering the incredible story of Brunelleschi and his ambitious plan to crown a cathedral that had been left open to the elements for 100 years.
Our tour takes us inside the cathedral (due the Covid-19 the entrace could be restricted) to admire
the largest frescoed surface in the world (3600 square meters) by Giorgio Vasari and Federico Zuccari, while outside, standing in front of the Baptistery where Cosimo de’ Medici used to pray, we hear tales of the squabble and triumph that led to the creation of Lorenzo Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise.
Following the ancient Via Larga, we arrive at Palazzo Medici-Riccardi, the first Renaissance palace in Florence and private home of the Medici family for nearly two centuries. In the inner sanctum of the palace we enter a fifteenth-century jewel box, the Chapel of the Magi, lustrously decorated by Benozzo Gozzoli with images that set the foundations of Medici mythology.
From the minute to the monumental we cross the Medici district and enter the Church of San Lorenzo, firmly though unofficially recognized as the ‘Medici church’. Today it’s a showcase of this family’s power, patronage and lasting legacy, featuring architecture by Brunelleschi, pulpits by Donatello, the tomb of Cosimo the Elder by Verrocchio, and the adjacent Medici Chapels, containing the final and dramatic works that Michelangelo executed in Florence.
What is included in the tour:
- Walking tour through Florence;
- Certified historian tourist guide;
What is NOT included in the tour:
What you will do on the tour:
- Walk through Florence and visit the sites featured in the series “Medici: Masters of Florence”;
- Learn all about the Medici family, how they championed art and science and paved the way for the Renaissance;
- Marvel at places such as the Piazza della Signoria, the Torre di Alforno, the Piazza del Duomo, the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi, and the Church of San Lorenzo;
- Understand the rich history of Florence and how the Renaissance shaped the city;
- Admire works of art by Brunelleschi, Donatello, Botticello, Michelangelo, Vasari, Zuccari, and Gozzoli.
Main features:
- Duration: around 4 hours;
- Languages: Italian, English, Spanish, French, Polish, Chinese, German;
- Meeting Point: Lungarno degli Acciaiuoli 32/r Firenze;
- Available: Tuesday - Thursday - Friday - Saturday.