The Medici Chapels (Cappelle Medicee) are two separate chapels in the apse of the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Florence, which was the parish church of the Medici, the influential family that is considered to be the founder of the international banking system and that ruled Tuscany during the 15th and 16th century.
The Basilica of San Lorenzo was designed by Filippo Brunelleschi, the leading Renaissance architect of the first half of the 15th century. The Medici Chapels are extensions to Brunelleschi’s design and intended to bury members of the Medici family.
The Sagrestia Nuova chapel (New Sacristy) is the smaller of the two chapels. It was designed by Michelangelo between 1521 and 1524, and was his first work in the field of architecture. He also designed a number of the chapel’s monuments that were dedicated to members of the Medici family.
With its 59 metre high dome, the octagonal Cappella dei Principi (Chapel of the Princes) is the distinguishing feature of San Lorenzo. Work begun in the early 17th century to create this mausoleum of the Medici grand-dukes.