Why is the Basilica of San Lorenzo famous?

The Basilica of San Lorenzo is one of Florence's largest and oldest churches, serving for centuries as the parish and burial place of the Medici family. Consecrated in 393 AD, the church was redesigned in the 15th century by Filippo Brunelleschi and features works and architectural additions by legendary artists including Donatello and Michelangelo.

What we know

• The Basilica di San Lorenzo is one of several churches that claim to be the oldest in Florence, having been consecrated in 393 AD. [1, 2]
• Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici offered to finance a new church building in 1419 to replace an earlier Romanesque structure. [2]
• Filippo Brunelleschi was commissioned to design the new church, creating structures such as the Old Sacristy. [2]
• The complex houses the burial places of all principal members of the Medici family from Cosimo il Vecchio to Cosimo III. [2]

Where to go next

• whoWho was Filippo Brunelleschi?
• a case in pointWhat is inside the Medici Chapels?
• what caused itHow did the Medici family shape Florence?
• how it workedWhat can be found inside the Laurentian Library?
• compared withWhat are the oldest churches in Florence?
• an unexpected connectionHow do Donatello's works connect to the Basilica of San Lorenzo?Donatello provided interior decoration and sculpture for the Old Sacristy within the larger monastic complex designed by Brunelleschi.

Sources

• [1]Basilica of San Lorenzo (Wikidata Q573881) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Basilica of San Lorenzo, Florence · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Piazza San Lorenzo · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Old St. Peter's Basilica · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]San Marco, Florence · CC BY-SA 4.0