Discover Florence on a walking tour of the Medici city to discover the history of the Medici in every corner of Florence.
This tour will take you through the symbolic places of Medici power and patronage, revealing stories of intrigue, art and passions that have profoundly marked the face of the city. From the rise of Cosimo the Elder to the influence of Lorenzo the Magnificent, every corner of Florence tells of the greatness and vicissitudes of this dynasty.
The Medici guided tour will show you the places and palaces where the Medici family lived, such as Palazzo Vecchio, Palazzo Pitti and the beautiful district of San Lorenzo and its Church, the first religious place of the Medici.
The first stop will be the Baptistery of St John, the most important religious building in Florence where Lorenzo the Magnificent and other Medici were baptized.
Continuing our route, we’ll stop in front of Palazzo Vecchio, the residence of Cosimo I of the Medici and his wife Eleonora of Toledo.
In front of it are sculptural works, including a copy of Michelangelo’s David, a symbol of the political power of the Medici and the freedom of Florence.
Palazzo Vecchio stands on Piazza della Signoria, a true open-air museum, where the Loggia dei Lanzi is located, built in 1376 with its Roman sculptures, such as Cellini’s Perseus. All works belonging to the Medici collections. Piazza della Signoria was the scene of great triumphs, including the return of the Medici from exile in 1530, and here took place the so-called Bonfire of the Vanities instigated by Savonarola, later condemned for heresy and burned at the stake in 1498, as a circular marble inscription placed on the square recalls.
A stone’s throw from Piazza della Signoria is one of the most important museums in the world, the Uffizi Gallery.
Our Medici walk will continue beyond the Arno river, in the part of Florence better known as Oltrarno. Here we will stop in front of the Pitti Palace.
The Medici tour in Florence is not just a visit: it is an immersion in history, between legends and curious and fascinating details that will take you back through the centuries to relive the era of powerful patrons, artists and revolutionaries and to discover the legacy that each of them has left here.
Stages of the Medici tour
- Baptistery of San Giovanni (baptismal place of the Medici)
- Palazzo della Signoria and Piazza della Signoria with the Loggia dei Lanzi
- Uffizi Gallery and Vasari Corridor
- Pitti Palace
- Oltrarno
