Length
- 3 hours
Highlights
- A special visit to the less-know Opificio delle Pietre Dure Museum
- A private licensed tour guide at disposal
- Michelangelo’s masterpieces
- The unique art of working with marbles and precious stones.
Perfect for
- Art lovers, culture enthusiasts
- History buffs
- Cultural explorers seeking an authentic Italian experience
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Description
Medici patronage and artistic excellence in marble
Your tour begins when you meet your private licensed tour guide. From there, you will embark on a journey focused on the importance of marble, a material used for countless works of art, from architecture and sculpture to jewelry and furniture.
Iconic Locations and Artistic Treasures
Your first stop is the octagonal Chapel of the Princes at St. Laurence’s. To celebrate their legacy, the Medici family built this stunning chapel, complete with its 59-meter high dome. To achieve this artistic marvel, they established the Grand Ducal Hardstone Workshop (the Opificio delle Pietre Dure), which created the chapel’s astonishing revetment of inlaid marbles and semi-precious stones. Next, you will enter the intimate Medici Chapels in the Sagrestia Nuova (New Sacristy). Here, you can admire some of Michelangelo’s masterpieces, which he masterfully carved in white marble after designing the space as a mausoleum.
Restoration and Preservation Museum
Afterwards, a short walk leads you to the lesser-known but fascinating museum of the Opificio delle Pietre Dure. Today, this institute is one of the world’s most important and modern centers for art restoration. Inside, you will see the artistic process of working with hard stones, a practice that Duke Ferdinando I de’ Medici officially founded in 1588. Furthermore, the precious collection showcases items of great refinement, allowing you to trace the three-century history of ancient marbles and semi-precious stone manufacturing.
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Inclusions
- A private licensed tour guide (3 hours’ length)
- Entrance tickets to the museums
- Earphones rental
Meeting point and notes
You will meet your guide in the lobby of your hotel if it is in Florence downtown. Otherwise, the meeting point will be at Piazza della Signoria in Florence. Please let us know the name of your hotel. It is important that you communicate any allergies or intolerances with your reservation. We always confirm the trip, even in case of rain. Our company will only contact you if conditions are dangerous. We recommend comfortable dress and shoes.
