Does strolling the gorgeous streets of Florence make you yearn for the royal treatment? For only ten euros you can feel like royalty by walking through the architecturally stunning hallways of the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi.
The Palazzo Medici-Riccardi is located at Via Camillo Cavour, 3, 50129 Firenze FI, which is just short of a ten-minute walk from Florence’s most famous landmark, The Duomo.
Commissioned by the patriarch of the Medici family, Cosimo de’ Medici, Michelozzo di Bartolomeo designed the palazzo to be an extraordinary example of classic renaissance architecture. With architectural elements like an outdoor courtyard surrounded by an arcade of arches, carved golden ceilings, and built-in busts of the Medicis, the palazzo is absolutely worth ten euros and an hour of your time.
After purchasing your ticket, head to the Magi Chapel and be stunned by its ornate ceilings, colorful murals and small space. Though the décor of the chapel is overwhelming at first, give your eyes a few minutes to explore every nook and cranny of this carved masterpiece.
The ceiling of the Magi Chapel is crafted from inlaid wood, which was assembled by renaissance legend Pagno di Lapo Portigiano.
The colors and shapes of the ceiling are bold, but they don’t clash with the heavily decorated walls and floor. The geometric shapes of the high ceilings are like an obstacle course for your eyes, making you feel both tired and entertained. As you explore the layers of borders that surround the center circle, make sure to notice the similarities between the shape of the golden sun in the navy square and the other circles that adorn the ceiling. The similarities between the sun shapes seem to suggest an abundance of light that represents the light in heaven.
After exploring the ceiling, let your eyes trace down the Corinthian Order columns and toward the carved wooden chapel seats.
These seats date back to the chapel’s creation in the mid 1400s. The delicate details of the stalls display the Medici family’s love for Florence due to the inclusion of Florence’s flower, the Fleur de Lis, which is located on the center of the middle seat.
After leaving the chapel, you’ll find a large sitting room that is attached to one of the Medici bedrooms. One of the small, yet historic details that make the Palazzo de Medici-Riccardi so grand is the brass doorknob on the bedroom door.
According to Paolo, a worker at the Palazzo Medici-Ricardi, the employees originally thought the doorknobs were numbered according to the amount of rooms. However, some doorknobs are unnumbered, which makes the theory less probable.
Important features of the doorknob include the curved handle with a carved leaf detail, and the classic skeleton keyhole. The extravagant gilding of both of these elements is classic for the Medici family. Though many historical places had skeleton key holes, they weren’t as decorative as the one shown in the photo.
The ceiling of the Sala Luca Giordano is unique because it’s frescoed, not carved. Though the ceiling was everything my Italian Renaissance dreams are made of, what really caught my eye were the carvings located just beneath either side.
These carvings contain small golden busts as well as wreaths, arches and scrolls. According to a sign provided by the Palazzo, the carvings were designed by Pier Maria Baldi and created with stucco in 1691.
As I marveled at the frescoed ceiling and stucco carvings, I overheard a couple in the room who were quietly debating about which location to go to next.
Carl and Sandy were a couple from Colorado who were in Florence for their annual Europe trip. They decided to visit the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi because Sandy read about it in a travel guide that she received for her birthday, a few months prior.
When asked why she selected the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi, she said, “You know, I read a lot of travel guides and the photos of this place were amazing. So, I had to come see it in person.”
Carl, her husband, said, “We’ve been to a couple of museums in Florence before, but nothing comes close to the classiness of this place. It’s a definite must-see.”
The final phenomenal ceiling in the palazzo is in one of the grand ballrooms of the palace. Though visitors cannot walk into the room, the doors are open to reveal the gold gilded ceiling.
Outside of the Palazzo lies a grand courtyard with traditional archways and carved art on the walls.
One of the grandest carved pieces located on the wall is this one, with the word ‘Hospes’ inscribed into it.
After a quick google search, I quickly learned that this architectural element features a quote of text from poet Caspar Barlaceus. The quote roughly translates to a paragraph about welcoming guests into the palace. It is adorned with carvings of Maia de Medici.
Another archway that features carvings is adorned with a sculpted cherub. This carving caught my eye because of the fluidity of the blanket that the cherub seems to be holding up against the wall.
Beneath the stucco cherub arch is a doorway which leads to a quaint outdoor garden with two sculptures, one small fountain and beautifully paved floors.
Stopping by the garden at the end of the Palazzo de Medici tour is the perfect transition from royalty to reality. This garden has freshly budding lemon trees which give the garden a light lemony scent.
Whether you’re inside or outside of the Palazzo de Medici-Riccardi, be sure to keep your chin up. It’ll prevent your crown from slipping and help you keep your eyes on the gorgeous ceilings and archways that the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi has to offer.