Medici Walking Tour -Semiprivate tour

Highlights

Inclusions

Itinerary

1. Palazzo Medici Riccardi was built for Cosimo il Vecchio by Michelozzo after 1444 as his town mansion on via Larga today via Cavour . Apart from the fine exterior, the main courtyard with classical relief in the tondi survives from this time , as well as Michelozzo's lovely little chapel on the first floor and the frescoes Cosimo commissioned for it from Benozzo Gozzoli.

   10 min

2. The church of was intimately connected with the Medici after they commissioned Brunelleschi to rebuild it in 1425 with their own family funds . It is the burial place of all the principal members of the family from Cosimo il Vecchio to Cosimo III .

   10 min

3. The Cappella dei Principi is the opulent mausoleum of the Medici grand dukes .It has been undergoing restoration since 1999. Ferdinando I decided to create the chapel , wich he intended to have decorated with plasters of costly jasper . A back passage connects the Cappella dei Principi to the New sacristy , was build to balance Brunelleschi's old Sacristy by Michelangelo . Inside you can see the tombs of the Medici family decorated with the statues carved by Michelangelo .

   10 min

4. The Dome of Santa Maria del Fiore was built by Brunelleschi, the architect who worked for the Medici family.

   Passes by

5. The impressive 14th-century Palazzo Vecchio is still preeminent with its crenellated tower. The square is also shared with the Loggia della Signoria, the Uffizi Gallery, the Palace of the Tribunale della Mercanzia and the Palazzo Uguccioni ,with a facade attributed to Raphael, who however died thirty years before its construction. Various imposing statues ring this square including: Copy of Michelangelo's David, the original by Michelangelo is housed in the Galleria dell'Accademia, adjacent to the Gallery of the Academy of Fine Arts. Equestrian Monument of Cosimo I, honoring Cosimo I de' Medici and sculpted by Giambologna Fountain of Neptune by Bartolomeo Ammannati Il Marzocco, (the Lion) with a copy of the Florentine Lily, originally made by Donatello Judith and Holofernes, by Donatello Hercules and Cacus, by Bandinelli The Rape of the Sabine Women, in the Loggia dei Lanzi by Giambologna Perseus with the Head of Medusa, in the Loggia dei Lanzi .etc

   25 min

6. One of the most important Italian museums and the most visited, it is also one of the largest and best known in the world and holds a collection of priceless works, particularly from the period of the Italian Renaissance.

   Passes by

7. The palace was bought by the Medici family in 1549 and became the chief residence of the ruling families of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. It grew as a great treasure house as later generations amassed paintings, plates, jewelry and luxurious possessions.

   20 min

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Reviews

Ratings come from 28 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Know before you go

How it compares in Florence

• Its from-price is 61% below the median of the 249 city tours we list in Florence.
• It is shorter than most of them.
• By number of reviews it ranks 41 of 249.
• The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Florence

Florence, the cradle of the Renaissance, gathers masterpieces of art and architecture into a compact city of stone streets beside the Arno.

The Duomo, with Brunelleschi's great red-brick dome, Giotto's bell tower and the Baptistery's gilded doors, marks the centre of town. A few streets away, Piazza della Signoria and the Palazzo Vecchio face a loggia full of sculpture, and the Uffizi Gallery holds Botticelli, Leonardo and Raphael. Michelangelo's David stands in the Galleria dell'Accademia.

Top-ranked sights in Florence: Piazza della Signoria, Uffizi Galleries (Gallerie degli Uffizi), Florence Duomo (Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore).

See all 3255 experiences in Florence