The Medici walking tour in Florence
Let me introduce you the glorious family that shaped Tuscany and the main characters of my private guided Medici walking tour of Florence!
From the early years as bankers and merchants, through the gonden age of Renaissance, to the mighty Grand Duchy of Tuscany, the House of Medici has shaped Florence for more than four centuries. You can easily guess it just walking around the city and counting their coats of arms: the crest decorated with 6 balls – all red except for a blue one – is actually everywhere, on public buildings and private palaces, painted in frescoes and popping out from door frames.
The House of Medici
The House of Medici originated in the region of Mugello, in the tuscan countryside, around the 13th century, and then they moved to Florence in the 14th. In 1397 Giovanni di Bicci de’ Medici founded the Medici Bank, the very first modern banking institute with branches and offices all over Europe. And they also invented the first checks!
The Medici began their rise not with an aristocratic title but as common people, during the times of the Republic of Florence. They built a fortune from their work, quickly controling the economy and the politics of Florence from behind the curtains. Only in 1523 they got the title of Dukes of Tuscany (and then shortly after Grand Dukes) and they officially became the lords of Florence.
Most of the members of the family were patrons of the art, very cultured and open minded, promoting philosophy, literature, new styles of art and talented artists as well. They spent a good part of their richness to enrich both the city and their palaces of masterpieces of art and architecture, and this is one of the reasons why Florence is so full of beauty.
Want to know how the dynasty ended? Read my blog post about Anna Maria Luisa, the last of the Medici family.
The Medici walking tour
The Medici walking tour is a slow guided walk in the historical center of Florence that will follow the footsteps of the House, bringing the history up to life in the original places where the facts happened. During the guided walking tour we’ll see:
- Palazzo Medici
- Church of San Lorenzo
- Piazza della Signoria
- Piazzale degli Uffizi
- Ponte Vecchio
- Palazzo Pitti
We will talk about love and murders, power, money and art, and the characters of such a fascinating story will be great figures as Cosimo the Old, Lorenzo the Magnificent, Michelangelo and more.
Info about my Medici walking tour in Florence
- Duration: 2 hours
- Meeting point: Palazzo Medici Riccardi
- Included: your licensed local tour guide
- Not included: anything else
This tour is always private and lasts about 2 hours. The path is around 3 km long and doesn’t requires any special phisical skill. For more informations or to book your private tour just fill the form below!