Medici Riccardi Palace
Medici Riccardi Palace
museums
Via Camillo Cavour, 50129 Firenze, Italia
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To confirm the prestige his family had attained, Cosimo the Elder built this superb palazzo in the heart of the city, just a short distance from the cathedral and San Lorenzo. It was not only the official residence of the Medici family starting with Cosimo I, it was the core of the dynasty’s collections. Construction began in 1444 to plans by Michelozzo, that would become a model for Tuscan Renaissance palazzos: three stories clad in rusticated ashlar that is smoother on the upper floors. In the sixteenth century Michelangelo made some modifications (such as closing the corner loggia), and other changes were made starting in 1659 when it was acquired by the Riccardi family. Today it is the seat of the Province of Florence and of the Prefecture. After admiring the beautiful Renaissance courtyard and garden, we can visit the “Chapel of the Magi” with the frescoes by Benozzo Gozzoli (1450 circa). In the procession that winds its way along the walls to reach the Nativity scene on the altar piece, we can identify a whole group of Medici family members (including a very young Lorenzo the Magnificent), intellectuals who frequented the court, and famous historical figures all set against a lush, Renaissance landscape. The Palazzo Medici-Riccardi also houses two important libraries.
museums
Via Camillo Cavour, 50129 Firenze, Italia
Show on map
To confirm the prestige his family had attained, Cosimo the Elder built this superb palazzo in the heart of the city, just a short distance from the cathedral and San Lorenzo. It was not only the official residence of the Medici family starting with Cosimo I, it was the core of the dynasty’s collections. Construction began in 1444 to plans by Michelozzo, that would become a model for Tuscan Renaissance palazzos: three stories clad in rusticated ashlar that is smoother on the upper floors. In the sixteenth century Michelangelo made some modifications (such as closing the corner loggia), and other changes were made starting in 1659 when it was acquired by the Riccardi family. Today it is the seat of the Province of Florence and of the Prefecture. After admiring the beautiful Renaissance courtyard and garden, we can visit the “Chapel of the Magi” with the frescoes by Benozzo Gozzoli (1450 circa). In the procession that winds its way along the walls to reach the Nativity scene on the altar piece, we can identify a whole group of Medici family members (including a very young Lorenzo the Magnificent), intellectuals who frequented the court, and famous historical figures all set against a lush, Renaissance landscape. The Palazzo Medici-Riccardi also houses two important libraries.