This tour is perfect to discover the magnificence and the opulence of the Medici dynasty through their patronage. You will learn about the history of the Grand Dukes of Florence and Tuscany and the secrets behind the luxury of their home!

You will discover the personality of the ruthless Grand Duke Cosimo I and his beautiful, but haughty, wife Eleonor of Toledo. They originated the two-century dynasty that will rule over the whole state until the last Grand Duke, Giangastone, died in 1737. You will also discover the secrets lurking behind the veneer of marble, gold and silver…

We will start from the Medici Chapels, the monumental mausoleum where all the Grand Dukes are buried. You will admire the fantastic Chapel of the Princes, which is the most amazing example of Florentine baroque. The precious mosaics decorating the room are a veritable feast for the eyes!

We will then make our way to the New Sacristy, commissioned by Pope Leo X and built between 1520 and 1555. Michelangelo took the plan of Brunelleschi’s Old Sacristy and converted it into a structure filled with motion and tension, animated by the recesses and projections of the walls, the windows which get narrower towards the top, and the chiaroscuro effect of the coffered dome, inspired by the Pantheon in Rome.

The tombs of the two Medici Dukes Lorenzo, Duke of Urbino, and Giuliano, Duke of Nemours, are shown seated like two classical Roman warriors. On the arched covers of the marble coffins we can admire the powerful personifications of Dusk, Dawn, Day and Night, some of the most significant examples of Michelangelo’s sculpture.

We continue our visit across the city center, crossing the river on Ponte Vecchio, into the “Oltrarno” district where we will see the imposing Pitti Palace, the last residential palace of the Medici family.

The Pitti Palace was once a stately home and now houses several museums and a fine collection of paintings. It also boasts a magnificent view of the Boboli Gardens from the palace windows. On our visit to the Pitti Palace we will take in the collections of the Galleria Palatina, which features works by Raphael, Titian, Caravaggio and Canova.

This unique setting was used by the Medici from the 16th-18th century for their apartments and reception rooms. Here you will learn everything about Ferdinando II and his pious wife, Victoria della Rovere. Their passion for decoration and luxury will turn the Pitti Palace into the grandest palace in Europe before Versailles was even built!

We will then end in the Boboli Gardens, the best-preserved Renaissance garden in Italy. Here you will admire breathtaking views and the famous Buontalenti Grotto, where the passions of the Medici would cool off in the pleasant shade of this secluded and romantic place,