In the Footsteps of the Medici

For those who are interested, here is the "In the Footsteps of the Medici" walking tour that I created for the International Business students. They went on this walking tour a few weeks ago. **********************************

“In the Footsteps of the Medici” Walking Tour
BUS 209 International Business

Names: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Date(s)/Times of Your Walking Tour: ______________________________________________

Introduction

The areas that you will visit today were the heart of Medicean Florence during the 15th and 16th centuries. During this time the Medici served as patrons to the greatest artists alive, including Brunelleschi, Masaccio, Uccello, Leon Battista Alberti, and, of course, Michelangelo. Without Medici funding, some of the world’s most magnificent works of art would not be in existence.

It’s hard to believe it now, but the area covered by the second part of the walking tour, San Lorenzo, was once green, lush countryside; it was a place where monks, artists, and scientists came for peace, relaxation, and reflection. The Medici eventually took over this area, but they maintained its natural beauty. In fact, Cosimo I created a botanical garden here which, at one time, was the most important in Europe. Although you won’t visit it today, the Natural History Museum is in this area, a testament to the Medicis’ respect for nature.

Instructions

1. Leave school and cross Piazza della Repubblica , turn left on Via Roma, and go two blocks to Piazza di San Giovanni (where the Duomo is). Cross straight over the piazza, and take Borgo San Lorenzo one block to Piazza San Lorenzo.

Historical note: Borgo refers to the shanty-towns that were developed along roads leading to the original walls of the city limits in the 1100s. You’ll see street names that include “Borgo” all over. Be on the lookout for them, and you can see how small the actual city of Florence used to be!

2. VISIT Basilica di San Lorenzo (on left as you reach the Piazza San Lorenzo)

Hours: M-S 10:00-17:00, Sun 13:30-17:00; Admission 2.50 euro

Historical notes: After the Duomo, this is the most important church in Florence. The original structure was built in 393 (that’s not a typo!) and served as Florence’s cathedral until the 8th century. It was rebuilt in 1059, and the Medici family completely rebuilt it again in the 15th century so that it could serve as the Medici family church. Over the next century, the Medici family eventually transformed it into the family mausoleum; many of the family are buried here. Several famous architects and artists were involved in the rebuilding of the church, which went on for decades, including Brunelleschi (main church and the Old Sacristy) and Michelangelo (the New Sacristy and the Laurentian Library). You’ll see the Old Sacristy and New Sacristy today; unfortunately, the Laurentian Library is currently closed to the public, but it holds one of the most important Italian collections of manuscripts.

The church itself houses a wealth of extremely important works of art. Grab a brochure when you enter the church for detailed information.

Main part of church

Question 1: Look up at the ceiling. You’ll see, going down the center, several gold shields. What do these shields represent? What do the red balls and the blue ball on the shields symbolize? (Hint: ask a docent.)

Sacrestia Vecchia (Old Sacristy) (to the left of the front of the inside of the church)

Question 2: Look up in the smaller blue dome. What is painted within this dome? What do you think might be the significance of this?

Question 3: How many gold shields can you find in this room? How do these shields differ from the shields in the main church?

Cloister (go out the church exit, turn right immediately, entrance to cloister is on right)

Question 4: What is the official Italian name of the Cloister, and in what century was it built?

Question 5: There is a crypt off the cloister. What two important people are buried here?

Question 6: What is in the very center of the cloister?

3. VISIT Medici Chapels (exit the Cloister and turn left, walk in front of the church, turn left at the end and follow the church all the way along Via del Canto de’Nelli to the end at Piazza Madonna degli Aldobrandini, entrance to Medici Chapels is on left)

Admission: FREE with your Uffizi Card

Historical notes: This part of San Marco Church serves as the mausoleum for the Medici family. Unfortunately, part of it is being renovated, but try to look beyond the scaffolding to see how magnificent it is. When you first enter the Medici Chapels, you will be in the crypt, which was built in 1508. You’ll then take a stairway to the right, which will lead you to the Chapel of the Princes, a large octagonal room that completely fills the dome you probably saw from the outside. Although it’s difficult to see the walls with the scaffolding, they are completely decorated with precious stones and marble. Around the walls are the coats of arms of the sixteen cities that formed the Tuscan Grand Duchy, the ruling political party in Medicean times. You will also visit the New Sacristy, where you’ll see some important sculptures.

Capella dei Principi (Chapel of the Princes)

Question 7: Where are the gold shields located in this chapel? How many are there? What is at the center of the blue ball, and what do these represent?

Sacrestia Nuova (New Sacristy)

Question 8: When you enter the New Sacristy, there is a tomb immediately to the right. Who is buried here? Who designed it?

4. Exit Medici Chapels, turn right on Via del Canto de’Nelli, the street winds around, following the church, and you’ll walk through market stalls for two blocks. Keep going through the stalls, and turn left on Via Camillo Cavour. Palazzo Medici Riccardi is immediately on the left.

5. VISIT Palazzo Medici Riccardi

Hours: Mon-Sun 9:00-19:00; Admission 3.50 euros for students with ID

Historical Notes: When Cosimo the Elder felt it was time that his family had a home in Florence, he commissioned Brunelleschi to design one. Interestingly, he found Brunelleschi’s plans too ostentatious; Cosimo felt that the key to success in Florence was to play it low-key, so he instead commissioned Michelozzo to design this home, which was completed in 1462; Cosimo the Elder moved in the same year, and it was bought by the Riccardi family in 1462, hence its name. The Medicis hosted many important guests at this home during their time here, including Emperor Charles VIII and Charles V of France. In 1540 Cosimo I decided to move to Palazzo Vecchio, near the Piazza della Signoria; because he was now Duke, he felt this house was beneath him. However, the “less important” members of the Medici family stayed here until the Riccardi family bought it. The Riccardi family sold the home in 1814 to the Grand Duchy, and the administrative offices of the Province of Florence are now housed here.

The chapel you’ll visit here is surprisingly small, but it is one of Florence’s greatest Renaissance works of art. Take time to admire the wonderful frescoes by Benozzo Gozzoli. It has been said of Gozzoli’s work: “Benozzo was gifted with a rare facility not only for the execution but of invention, with a spontaneity, a freshness, a liveliness in telling a story that wakes the child in us, and the lover of fairytales.” See whether you agree.

You’ll enter into the first courtyard. Take the walkway you’ll see to your left, take the stairs you see to your right before entering the second courtyard. Go up one flight to the Percorso Museale. Enter the door on your left and you’ll be able to visit three rooms.

Sala Luca Giordana

Question 9: Who designed this room? Who frescoed the ceiling, and what is the title of this work of art?

Sala Consiliare Quattro Stagioni

Question 10: What group periodically holds meetings in this room? How did this room get its name? Where is the gold shield in this room?

Capella di Benozzo Gozzoli (go downstairs, turn right and go to the end of the walkway into the second courtyard, turn left, take stairs on the left)

Question 11: What appears on the ceiling over the altar? Given what you learned at the Museo di Storia della Scienza, why do you think this might have been controversial?

Second Courtyard (take the stairs down to the second courtyard)

Question 12: How many shields do you see in the courtyard? Where are they located, and how many balls does each contain? (Tricky!)

Garden

Question 13: What do you see in the stonework on the walkway leading between the two iron gates? What type of tree fills the courtyard?

Note: If you need a nature break, use the restrooms that are off the garden. Ladies, if you do, you’re in for a real cultural experience!

6. Exit Palazzo Medici Riccardi and turn left on Via Camillo Cavour, follow it to the Piazza San Marco (Unfortunately, you will pass a McDonald’s and a serial killer exhibit along the way. Don’t stop!)

Historical notes: You’d never guess it now, but during Medicean times, the most important families in Florence lives along this street. You can still see some of this grandeur at No. 4 (a 17th-century palazzo), No. 18 (built in 1740), No. 22 and No. 24 (now housing the Bank of Naples). Also notice the Biblioteca Marucelliana at No. 43, which is open to the public and well worth a visit at a later time. For centuries the Piazza San Marco and surrounding area has been the center of art, science, and religion in Florence, which is evident by what’s currently here: the Natural History Museum, the Luigi Cherubini Conservatory of Music, and, of course, the Accademia, where Michelangelo’s David is housed. You’ll get a chance to visit the Accademia in your Italian Life and Culture class.

7. VISIT Church of San Marco

Hours: daily 8:00-12:00 and 16:00-20:00

Historical notes: The Medici commissioned Michelozzo to build this church (see the reason below). The original church on this site dates back to the 13th century, and it served at one time as the home of Savonarola. When Michelozzo completed work on the church for the Medici, it was one of the first cloistered structures of the Renaissance. The church contains many important works of Renaissance art.

Question 14: “Invest 10,000 florins in a monastery for the city” was the penitence Pope Eugene IV imposed on Cosimo the Elder to make amends for his “dishonestly acquired” wealth. The result was the Church of San Marco. Given what you’ve read in Medici Money, what practice were the Medici engaging in that would be considered “dishonestly acquired”?

Optional: Visit the San Marco Museum (FREE with your Uffizi Card) (Note: this museum could take a while, so it’s probably best to come back at a later time.)

Historical notes: Although you probably won’t have time on this walking tour to visit the San Marco Museum, you really should return while in Florence. The building was originally a monastery, commissioned by Cosimo de’Medici and built by Michelozzo between 1437 and 1452. After World War I, many important Florentine works of art by Fra Angelico were moved here. One critic commented, “It is as if all the sugar in the world has been concentrated in one place.” There are too many to list here, so be sure to consult a guide book.Of special interest is the first floor, which contains monks’ cells lining three sides of the cloister of St. Antonino, all filled with masterpieces by Fra Angelico. It’s important to note that these cells were not prison cells, but rather quiet places where monks could meditate and reflect. In fact, Cosimo the Elder kept a cell here for himself. The images were added to the cells to aid in their contemplation.

8. Off Piazza San Marco, walk down Via C. Battisti to Piazza della SS Annunziata, where you’ll find the Spedale degli Innocenti.

9. VISIT Spedale degli Innocenti

Hours: Thurs-Tues 8:30-14:00; you can enter the courtyard for FREE

Historical notes: This has nothing to do with the Medici, but it’s something you should see, especially because it’s so close. This will also allow you to walk back via a different route.

The “Hospital of the Innocents” opened on January 25, 1445, and was devoted entirely to abandoned babies. In these days it was quite common for babies to be abandoned by mothers who could not afford to feed them. The building of the hospital was financed by the Silkmaker’s Guild, one of the most important guilds in Florence; and Brunelleschi designed the structure. It turned out to be a sort of miniature city, where every area had a specific function. Any baby abandoned here was cared for until he or she reached the age of 18. Interestingly, there are still people today with the surnames degli Innocenti, Innocenti, and Nocentini, who can trace their lineage back only as far as this orphanage.

Men’s Cloister/Courtyard

Question 15: Around the cloister you’ll see glazed terracotta roundels placed in the spandrels between the arches. Each shows an infant in swaddling clothes. What do these infants represent?

Optional: Visit the Museo Spedale degli Innocenti

Historical notes: If you have time, this very small museum is worth a visit. Inside are many works of art, with themes of the Virgin Mary and, appropriately, children. Of special note is a piece called Madonna and Child by Sandro Botticelli. I was also extremely moved by a small display of identification tags that mothers would hide in their babies’ clothing before abandoning them at the hospital. Most these were medals that had been cut in half. The mother would keep the other half, as proof, just in case she were ever reunited with her child.

10. Exit the Spedale degli Innocenti and take Via dei Servi (center of the piazza to the left when exiting the spedale) back to the Duomo. When you reach the Duomo, veer to the right and follow it along the side and around the front until you reach Via dei Calzaiuoli (Black Bar on right corner). Follow Via dei Calzaiuoli to Via Porta Rossa, which is the street before you reach the Piazza della Signoria. Take a right on Via Porta Rossa and the first right onto Via dell’Arte della Lana.

11. VISIT site of the original Medici bank building (corner of Via Porta Ross and Via dell-Arte della Lana)

Historical note: The road you walked down, Vie dei Servi, once served as an important route that wool traders traveled to deliver their goods to Florence. And this very corner is where the Medici housed its bank. In fact, this entire area around the Mercato Nuovo was the banking center of Florence; almost 70 other banks were housed nearby. Close your eyes and imagine dozens of bankers, all dressed in long red gowns, sitting at shaded tables along the street, all with bags of coins by their side.

Question 16: What is on this corner now?

12. Tour ends here. You can continue on Via Porta Rossa and take a right on Via Calimala to go back to the Piazza della Repubblica and the school. (And Gillian, Zoe, and Kim, you’re home!)I hope you enjoyed your walk “In the Footsteps of the Medici”!

COMMENTS (Please feel free to add any comments you have about the walking tour. I would love your feedback!)

© 2007 Carolyn M. Seefer