5/5 Asiyah Noemi K. 3 years ago on Google
We
could
not
wait
to
visit
this
beautiful
and
significant
church
because
we
knew
the
connection
between
Michelangelo
Buonarroti
and
the
Medici
family.
The
Medici
were
responsible
for
Michelangelo’s
early
education,
some
of
his
major
commissions
in
Florence,
and
ultimately,
his
exile
from
the
city
as
an
elderly
man.
Michelangelo
is
one
of
the
most
important
and
versatile
artists
of
all
time.
He
was
an
ingenious
Renaissance
painter,
sculptor,
architect
and
poet.
He
spent
one
part
of
his
life
in
this
church.
San
Lorenzo
was
the
first
Florentine
church
built
in
a
new,
Renaissance
style
-
a
model
for
later
construction,
built
by
then
young
architect
Filippo
Brunelleschi
(Old
Sacristy
and
Basilica
Remodeling).
Later
Upgrades
-
The
New
Sacristy
and
Medici-Laurenziana
Library
were
designed
by
the
ingenious
Michelangelo
project.
Brunelleschi
began
reconstruction
from
the
transept
of
the
old
church,
replaced
the
old
Romanesque
apse,
this
new
space
was
to
become
the
burial
place
for
the
member
of
the
Medici
family
-
later
called
the
Old
Sacristy
(The
Old
Sacristy
was
commissioned
by
Giovanni
de'
Bicci
di
Medici—the
founder
of
the
Medici
bank
and,
hence,
the
family's
subsequent
fortunes—and
he
is
buried
here
along
with
his
grandsons,
Giovanni
and
Piero
de'
Medici
(son
of
the
great
civic
leader
Cosimo
Il
Vecchio
and
father
of
Lorenzo
"the
Magnificent"),
in
a
tomb
by
Verrocchio).
But
remodeling
was
realized
later
due
to
wars
and
lack
of
money.
After
seventeen
years
under
the
patronage
of
Cosimo
de
'Medici
and
the
death
of
Brunelleschi,
the
construction
of
the
church
was
completed
by
Antonio
Manetti
in
1448.
The
curiosity
of
the
Basilica
of
San
Lorenzo
is
the
unfinished
main
facade,
for
which
there
were
many
designs
(among
other
things,
the
project
was
made
by
Michelangelo
who
even
procured
the
necessary
stone
for
construction),
but
never
enough
money
-
so
that
it
remained
unfinished.
Inside
the
Basilica
of
San
Lorenzo
are
many
valuable
works
of
art,
among
others:
Two
Donatello's
pulpits,
which
stand
on
Ionic
columns
with
reliefs
of
scenes
from
Christ's
life.
The
Desideria
da
Settignana
Tabernacle
of
1461
is
a
sculptural
work
that
stands
by
its
quality
with
Donatello's
pulpits.
The
altarpiece
by
Filippo
Lippi
Proclamation
from
1437.
Mary's
wedding,
painting
by
the
mannerist
painter
Rosso
Fiorentino
from
1523.
Cardinal
Giulio
di
Giuliano
de
'Medici
commissioned
a
project
from
Michelangelo
in
1520
for
the
construction
of
the
New
Sacristy
(architectural
appearance
and
sculptures).
Michelangelo
in
the
floor
plan
-
basically
followed
the
concept
of
Brunelleschi's
Old
Sacristy,
but
he
also
installed
a
mezzanine
floor
under
the
cassette
dome,
thus
obtaining
a
much
higher
room.
He
harmoniously
divided
the
whole
space
into
dark
and
light
parts.
An
interesting
detail
from
his
relationship
with
the
Medici
family
occurred
in
1527
when
the
Florentines
expelled
the
ruling
Medici
family
and
established
a
republican
government.
Michelangelo
supported
the
new
regime
and
turned
against
Pope
Clement
VII
(of
the
Medici
family),
for
whom
he
worked
at
the
time.
But
after
a
10-month
siege,
the
Pontifical
State
recaptured
Florence.
Michelangelo
had
been
hiding
from
the
Medici
at
San
Lonenzo
Church
for
months,
in
a
room
that
had
a
perfect
view
of
the
Medici
Palace.
So
he
had
them
under
control
without
them
being
aware
of
it.
Michelangelo
escaped,
and
he
went
to
Rome
and
never
returned
to
Florence,
although
the
Medici
called
for
him
to
return.
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