Skip the line at the Medici Chapels, perhaps the greatest hidden gem of Florence that contrasts the show-stopping Medici prince chapels of the grand dukes with the artistic majesty of the New Sacristy, known as Michelangelo’s “Essay on architecture.” His statues Day, Night, Dusk and Dawn reveal the transformations of the artist since he sculpted the David.
The walk across town reveals innumerable anecdotes such as the courtyard of the Palazzo Medici that Michelangelo would have been familiar with, the disastrous Pazzi conspiracy against Lorenzo de Medici which centered around the cathedral and how Ghiberti’s style on the Gates of Paradise may have influenced a young Michelangelo.
Then we’ll take you into one of the most historic buildings in Florence: The Palazzo Vecchio. Once the center of government for Medieval Florence, it became the home of the Medici during the Renaissance. Here you’ll see the enormous Hall of the 500 where Michelangelo and Leonardo were set to have the showdown of the century. You’ll see frescoed halls where the Medici lived, the death of mask of Dante, the Hall of the Maps and the start of the Vasari corridor.
The tour ends with entry into one of the city’s most famous churches: the imposing Santa Croce and the tomb of Michelangelo himself, paid for by, of course, none other than the Medici family. As this is a private tour, your guide can adapt their storytelling to your group based on your interests.
- Tour of Palazzo Vecchio
- Courtyard of the Palazzo Medici Riccardi
- Skip the line at the Medici Prince Chapels
- The New Sacristy of San Lorenzo (Medici funerary monument by Michelangelo)
- View of Brunelleschi’s Dome and the outside of the Florence Cathedral
- The Gates of Paradise
- Walk through Signoria Square
- Santa Croce Church
- Galileo’s Tomb
- Michelangelo’s Tomb
- Design and creation of the tour
- Authorized Guide service
- Archaeologist/Art Historian
- Insurance
- Skip the line service
- Admission tickets
- Personal expenses
- Private transportation