Official Information
Official website: https://bargellomusei.beniculturali.it/musei/museo-delle-cappelle-medicee/
Online tickets: https://webshop.b-ticket.com/webshop/webticket/eventlist?production=8
Address: Piazza Madonna degli Aldobrandini 6, 50123 Firenze (FI), Italy
Map: View on Google Maps
Opening Hours
Generally 08:15–18:50, with seasonal variations; typically closed on some Mondays and on 1 January and 25 December. Always check the official museum or b-ticket site for current hours.
The Medici Chapels form the monumental mausoleum of the Medici dynasty, tucked behind the Basilica of San Lorenzo yet managed as a separate state museum. Inside you move through three distinct spaces: the crypt, the New Sacristy designed by Michelangelo, and the vast Chapel of the Princes, each telling a chapter of Medici power and taste. The crypt, with its rows of sober stone tombs, sets a surprisingly intimate tone and helps you grasp how many generations of this family ruled Florence and Tuscany. The highlight for most visitors is the New Sacristy, Michelangelo’s architectural response to Brunelleschi’s Old Sacristy in the church. Here he conceived an almost theatrical dialogue between architecture, sculpture and light: the paired tomb monuments of Giuliano and Lorenzo de Medici are topped by the famous reclining figures of Night and Day, and Dawn and Dusk, muscular, restless bodies symbolising the passing of time and the fragility of earthly power. Even if you have seen these works in books, standing close to them you notice details like the unfinished surfaces, the twisting poses and the way they are meant to be read from below. At the far end lies a more contemplative Madonna and Child by Michelangelo, surrounded by saints, which anchors the space spiritually. Upstairs, the Chapel of the Princes shifts the mood completely. Commissioned by the grand dukes in the 17th century, it is a showcase of Florentine luxury crafts: walls and floors covered in inlaid semi-precious stones, coloured marbles and coats of arms created by the Medici-run Opificio delle Pietre Dure. You see massive cenotaphs for the grand dukes, topped by sarcophagi and heraldic emblems, but the actual burials remain below in the crypt, a reminder that grandeur is often as much about show as reality. A visit here is compact but intense; most people spend about an hour to ninety minutes. It combines well with San Lorenzo church and the central market area just outside. Practical tips: this is a popular stop for small groups, so first and last entry of the day are usually quieter. Photography without flash is generally allowed but tripods are not. Because it is a place of tombs rather than an active church, dress codes are more relaxed than at a cathedral, but respectful clothing is still advisable. For anyone interested in Michelangelo, Medici history or decorative arts, the chapels offer one of Florence’s most concentrated and atmospheric experiences.