Medici Walking Tour in Florence - The Medici Unwitnessed

Discovering the history of the Medici dynasty with guided tours of Palazzo Vecchio and Palazzo Medici Riccardi. 

Immerse yourself in the history of the most influential and famous family of the Renaissance and early modern Italy, the Medici Family, the Masters of Florence. Universally recognized for their role as supporters of the arts and rulers of Tuscany for over three centuries, initially as private citizens then as sovereign grand dukes. 

This private guided tour is a historical time travel opportunity to explore the intricacies of this powerful family from the outset of their reign to its decline, learning about their patronage and ambitions, their passions and preferences, their physical maladies and their daily life inside and outside their palaces. 

We begin the tour exploring the Medici Palace, the Renaissance house where it all began

The Palace was the home of Cosimo the Elder and Lorenzo the Magnificent, embellished by the artworks of prominent artists such as Donatello, Michelangelo and Filippo Lippi. The palace was commissioned to architect Michelozzo di Bartolomeo – an exemplary prototype of a Renaissance aristocratic dwelling and a symbol of the family’s undisputed political and economic importance.

Over the years, the palace changed hands and was later acquired by the Riccardi family who made significant additions and modifications still discernible today. Visible from the Duomo, the Palace is inserted in the context of the broader Medici quarter, which includes the San Lorenzo complex with the Medici Chapels (Cappelle Medicee).

The heart of the Renaissance palazzo is centered around Michelozzo’s courtyard, one of the most sophisticated expressions of fifteenth-century design, modulated with elegance and purity of style on classical architecture.

The Chapel of the Magi is one of the most significant and precious places of the entire building, celebrated for its wall frescoes by Benozzo Gozzoli executed between 1459-61, depicting the Journey of the Magi. The frescoes are not only a depiction of the biblical story but also serve as an allegory for the family's political and spiritual journey. The inclusion of portraits of contemporary Medici family members and their allies emphasizes this connection.

The walled garden, a peaceful hortus conclusus once arranged with antiquities, served to celebrate the weddings, the last one taking place in 1539 when Cosimo I and Eleonora from Toledo got married. Then the Medici will head on to conquer the seat of political power in Florence.

The Palazzo Vecchio Museum Visit

The history of the Palazzo Vecchio Museum, and that of Florence, was rewritten in the mid 1500s by the first Grand Duke of Tuscany, Cosimo I, and his right-hand man, Vasari, to celebrate the princely regime of the dynasty. The palace has always been the symbol of political power in Florence and today its municipality. Seat of the Republic first with its prime civic personalities like Niccolò Machiavelli, then taken over by the Medici inaugurating their princely state.

In the Palazzo Vecchio Museum, the exaltation of the family’s power is depicted in many artworks that successfully portray the historical events and dramatic transformations of this Family.

As we climb the staircase, we step into the grand ‘Hall of the Five Hundred’ celebration of the geo-politics of Cosimo I with the monumental frescoes by Giorgio Vasari, initially built in the late fifteenth century by the charismatic Dominican friar Girolamo Savonarola to house the Grand Council of the Florentine Republic. The itinerary continues through the Medici quarters in a depiction of terrestrial and heavenly gods, to end with the Hall of Geographical Maps, its purpose was to design a cosmos, an orderly universe over which the Duje (Cosimo) would reign symbolically.

Experience the Medici dynasty during this guided tour, stepping into their shoes and closely experiencing the history of this powerful period.

About the Medici Walking Tour in Florence:

• Begin with a visit to the Medici-Riccardi Palace.

• Continue on to a walk to San Lorenzo and Medicean Chapels to observe the family’s beginning and end.

• Visit the Palazzo Vecchio Museum: the symbol of political power in Florence.

Suggestions for making this guided tour special:

• Purchase a separate ticket for Arnolfo Tower and enjoy a stunning view from one of the city’s highest points. The 418-stair climb allows you to get your daily exercise in!
• This tour may also be paired with the Pitti Palace tour, the last of the Medici residences.