Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
San Lorenzo
2
San Lorenzo was the parish church of the Medici family,
and they lavished their wealth on its adornment.
Brunelleschi rebuilt the church in Renaissance Classical
style in 1419, although the façade was never completed.
In 1520 Michelangelo began work on the Medici tombs
and designed the Biblioteca Mediceo-Laurenziana in 1524
to house the manuscripts
collected by the Medici. In
both the New Sacristy and
the Cappella dei Principi,
extensive scaffolding has
been erected (for an
indefinite period) to protect
visitors from falling marble.
The huge dome
by
Buontalenti echoes
that of Brunelleschi's
Duomo
(see pp64-5)
.
.
Cappella dei Principi
The marble decoration of the
Medici mausoleum, begun in
1604 by Matteo Nigetti, was
not completed until 1962.
The Old Sacristy
was
designed by Brunelleschi
(1420-29) and painted
by Donatello.
.
Michelangelo's Staircase
The Mannerist
pietra serena
sandstone
staircase to the Biblioteca is one of
Michelangelo's most innovative designs.
It was built by Ammannati in 1559.
Michelangelo
designed the
desks and ceiling of the
Biblioteca, which is entered
from Manetti's graceful, tiered
cloister, built in 1462.
The Martyrdom
of St Lawrence
Bronzino's huge
Mannerist fresco of
1569 is a masterly
study of the human
form in various con-
torted poses
(see p27)
.
The formal cloister garden
is
planted with clipped box hedges,
pomegranate and orange trees.
