What Is the Medici Chapels?

The Medici Chapels (Cappelle Medicee) form part of the Basilica di San Lorenzo complex, though they're entered separately from the basilica itself — a source of confusion covered in the getting-there section below. Two spaces make up the museum. The Chapel of the Princes (Cappella dei Principi) is a soaring, octagonal Baroque mausoleum lined floor to ceiling in inlaid semi-precious stone (pietre dure) and granite, built to house the tombs of the Medici grand dukes — a room designed to overwhelm on entry, and it generally does.

The second space, the New Sacristy (Sagrestia Nuova), is quieter and more austere by design. It was built to a Michelangelo plan and holds his sculptural tomb figures — Dawn and Dusk, Night and Day — reclining above the Medici dead, the same sculptor whose David draws crowds a short walk away at the Accademia Gallery. Unlike the Chapel of the Princes' encrusted opulence, the New Sacristy's marble figures are the whole point of the room.

Medici Chapels Tickets & Prices 2026

As of 2026, full-price admission is €11. A reduced rate of €2 applies to EU citizens aged 18–25, and EU citizens under 18 enter free. Free admission also applies on the first Sunday of every month, plus a handful of Italian civic holidays including April 25 and November 4 — these free dates draw larger crowds, so budget extra time if you're visiting on one. If you want to see the hidden chamber discovered beneath the New Sacristy in 1975 — informally called "Michelangelo's Secret Room," with charcoal sketches attributed to the artist — it's bookable as a combo ticket for roughly €32 full price or €7 reduced, and visits are capped at just four people per 15-minute slot, so reserve well ahead if that's a priority.

Booking a timed slot online carries a small reservation fee, generally in the €3–4 range depending on the booking channel — confirm the exact figure at checkout since it varies slightly between the museum's own site and third-party ticketing partners. If you're planning to hit several Florence museums in a short trip, a 72-hour pass covering the whole Bargello museum group (Cappelle Medicee, Bargello, Palazzo Davanzati, and Orsanmichele) runs about €38, which is worth comparing against a broader city pass — see whether the Florence Pass is worth it for your specific itinerary before assuming a bundle saves money.

Opening Hours & Best Time to Go

Standard hours are Wednesday through Monday, 8:15 a.m. to 6:50 p.m., with last entry 40 minutes before closing at 6:10 p.m. The chapels are closed every Tuesday — but that's only half the schedule. On top of the weekly Tuesday closure, the museum also closes on the first, third, and fifth Monday of each month, and on the second and fourth Sunday. In practice that means roughly one Monday in three and one Sunday in two are also dark days, on top of every single Tuesday. It's closed December 25 and January 1 as well.

The rotation exists because it's shared across several Florence civic and state museums on a staggered schedule, so it changes month to month rather than following a fixed weekly pattern. Always check the current month's calendar on the official site before you finalize a date — don't assume "just avoid Tuesday" is enough. For crowds, the Medici Chapels are noticeably calmer than the Uffizi or Accademia; arriving right at 8:15 a.m. opening or in the early afternoon on a weekday gets you close to the room to yourself.

How Long to Plan for Your Visit

Budget 45 to 60 minutes for a standard visit — the Medici Chapels is a compact museum compared to the Uffizi or Palazzo Pitti, with two main rooms rather than dozens of galleries. Visitors who want to slow down and take in the pietre dure stonework in the Chapel of the Princes in detail, or study Michelangelo's tomb figures in the New Sacristy at length, should plan closer to 90 minutes. If you've booked the Secret Room add-on, tack on the separate 15-minute reserved slot plus a short walk to reach it; it doesn't extend the main visit meaningfully but does require sticking to your reserved time.

How to Get to the Medici Chapels

The Medici Chapels entrance is at Piazza Madonna degli Aldobrandini, 6 — on the far side of the San Lorenzo complex from the basilica's own entrance on Piazza San Lorenzo. This trips people up regularly: the two are physically joined but ticketed and entered separately, so don't queue at the basilica door expecting it to lead into the chapels. From the Florence Duomo, it's a flat five-minute walk north. From Firenze Santa Maria Novella train station, it's about eight to ten minutes on foot through the San Lorenzo market streets.

Florence's historic center is largely closed to private traffic (Zona a Traffico Limitato), so walking is the practical option once you're near the center. If you're arriving by air, Florence Airport (Peretola) is roughly 20–30 minutes away by taxi or the Vola in Bus shuttle to Santa Maria Novella.

Visit Tips: Queues, Booking & Common Mistakes

The single most common mistake is assuming Tuesday is the only closed day and showing up on a closed Monday or Sunday instead — always cross-check the current month's calendar on the official Bargello museums site before you commit to a date. Booking online in advance is worth the small reservation fee: it guarantees your slot, avoids the risk of arriving on a closed day by accident, and skips the ticket-window line, which can build up around mid-morning tour-group arrivals.

Because the museum is small, there's no need to block out a half day the way you might for the Uffizi — 45 to 60 minutes is genuinely enough for most visitors, which makes it easy to fit in alongside a morning at the nearby San Lorenzo Market without over-scheduling the day. If the Secret Room is on your list, book it separately and well ahead; the four-person cap per slot means it sells out faster than general admission, especially in spring and early summer. Large bags and backpacks typically need to be checked or left behind, so travel light if you're coming straight from a hotel checkout.

Nearby Attractions

The Medici Chapels sit in one of Florence's busiest pockets for sightseeing. San Lorenzo Market, with its leather stalls and the covered Mercato Centrale food hall, is immediately outside. The Duomo is a five-minute walk south, and the Accademia Gallery — home to Michelangelo's David — is a similarly short walk northeast, making the two a natural pairing given the Michelangelo connection running through both. The Ponte Vecchio, across the historic center toward the river, is about a 15-minute walk if you're continuing on toward the Oltrarno district.

Plan the rest of a short trip with our 2-day Florence itinerary, which sequences the chapels against the city's other sights so you're not backtracking across town.