About
Location :
Added by Jopie, at 13 October 2016
Opening Hours
- Monday 8:30 AM – 7:00 PM
- Tuesday 8:30 AM – 7:00 PM
- Wednesday Closed
- Thursday 8:30 AM – 7:00 PM
- Friday 8:30 AM – 7:00 PM
- Saturday 8:30 AM – 7:00 PM
- Sunday 8:30 AM – 7:00 PM
Gallery
Add missing information
10 Reviews
-
19 December 2017
Student 6 euro. Really small exhibition. Only for those who interested.
Perhaps the most important section of the palace is the Magi Chapel, famously frescoed by Benozzo Gozzoli, who completed it around 1459. Gozzoli adorned the frescos with a wealth of anecdotal detail and portraits of members of the Medici family and their allies, along with Byzantine emperor John VIII Palaiologos and Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund of Luxemburg parading through Tuscany in the guise of the Three Wise Men. Regardless of its biblical allusions, many of the depictions allude to the Council of Florence(1438-1439), an event that brought prestige to both Florence and the Medici.
The chapel also used to host Filippo Lippi's Adoration in the Forest as its altarpiece. Lippi's original is now in Berlin, while a copy by a follower of Lippi has replaced the original.
Other decorations of the palazzo included two lunettes by Filippo Lippi, depicting Seven Saintsand the Annunciation, both now at the National Gallery, London.
The Magi are popularly referred to as wise menand kings. The word magi is the plural of Latinmagus, borrowed from Greek μάγος magos, as used in the original Greek text of the Gospel of Matthew ("μάγοι"). Greek magos itself is derived from Old Persian maguŝ from the Avestanmagâunô, i.e., the religious caste into which Zoroaster was born (see Yasna 33.7: "ýâ sruyê parê magâunô" = "so I can be heard beyond Magi"). The term refers to the Persian priestly caste of Zoroastrianism. As part of their religion, these priests paid particular attention to the stars and gained an international reputation for astrology, which was at that time highly regarded as a science. Their religious practices and use of astrology caused derivatives of the term Magi to be applied to the occult in general and led to the English term magic, although Zoroastrianism was in fact strongly opposed to sorcery. The King James Version translates the term as wise men; the same translation is applied to the wise men led by Daniel of earlier Hebrew Scriptures (Daniel 2:48). The same word is given as sorcerer and sorcery when describing "Elymas the sorcerer" in Acts 13:6–11, and Simon Magus, considered a heretic by the early Church, in Acts 8:9–13. Several translations refer to the men outright as astrologers at Matthew Chapter 2, including New English Bible (1961); Phillips New Testament in Modern English (J.B.Phillips, 1972); Twentieth Century New Testament (1904 revised edition); Amplified Bible (1958-New Testament); An American Translation (1935, Goodspeed); and The Living Bible (K. Taylor, 1962-New Testament).
Although the Magi are commonly referred to as "kings," there is nothing in the account from the Gospel of Matthew that implies that they were rulers of any kind. The identification of the Magi as kings is linked to Old Testament prophecies that describe the Messiah being worshipped by kings in Isaiah 60:3, Psalm 68:29, and Psalm 72:10, which reads, "Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations serve him." Early readers reinterpreted Matthew in light of these prophecies and elevated the Magi to kings. By AD 500 all commentators adopted the prevalent tradition that the three were kings. Later Christian interpretation stressed the Adorations of the Magi and shepherds as the first recognition by the people of the earth of Christ as the Redeemer, but the reformer John Calvin was vehemently opposed to referring to the Magi as kings. He once wrote: "But the most ridiculous contrivance of the Papists on this subject is, that those men were kings Beyond all doubt, they have been stupefied by a righteous judgment of God, that all might laugh at [their] gross ignorance."response / report this review -
26 November 2017
Palazzo Medici Riccardi (the Medici Palace) is the renaissance home where the powerful Medici family lived.
The palace is most famous for Cappella dei Magi, the family’s private chapel decorated with frescoes by Benozzo Gozzoli, an artistic gem admired the world over.
This palace was the main home of Lorenzo the Magnificent (1449-1492), Cosimo the Elder's grandson and the unmistakable Lord of Florence.
Please mark this review as Helpful as it deems appropriate.response / report this review -
20 November 2017
This is only one of Florence's historic palaces, but its chapel happens to be decorated with one of the most famous and beautiful frescoes in the world! This is why people are happy to pay in order to see the interior. It wouldn't take long to look the Medici-Ricardi Palace up on the internet and find out why the chapel is so important and which famous fifteenth century people are depicted in it. The experience of being wrapped around by glowing colours in a tiny jewel of a chapel is one that will stay with you. It's worth seeing, even if you don't care why this fresco was painted or which famous people are in it.
response / report this review -
19 November 2017
This is a very important palace, but I wanted to enter is because I assumed that I will see things connect to Medici family. But with the admission 10 euros and you only see two small rooms (one with temporary exhibition another one just few sculptures) if you have no idea that you really want see the things inside,don’t bother to go in. Waste too much money.. compared to other else museums in Europe/Italy.
response / report this review -
14 September 2017
Enjoy the outside of the palace, the garden and the exhibition for free, but unless you have a particular interest in anything that you know is inside, do not pay to go in.
You walk through about five or six rooms, maybe half of which have any information at all. Reading everything and stopping to look, the whole visit takes about fifteen minutes, which makes the entry fee of 10€ (reduced 6€) extortionate. There are some supposedly important historical paintings inside, but you wouldn't know this from the available (lack of) information or explanation.
When we attended, there was also a conference on, meaning several rooms were closed to visitors (and from some previous reviews, it seems the second floor and museum were also closed). When we asked about the possibility of a refund, we were informed that the huge projector screen in one of the rooms (inaccessible at the time for visitors) was there year-round and that we were informed that the exhibition was on. There was a notice at the desk, but no information about the size of the palace, the exhibition, which areas were closed or the length of the visit.
As I said earlier, only pay the entry fee if you are SURE that there is something inside that you particularly want to see. If you want to see old furniture and paintings, go to an antique shop for free.response / report this review -
26 March 2017
Beautiful little house-style museum. Each room with so much personality. I might not have paid the entry fee separately, but it was part of the Firenze Card circuit so it worked out to be fairly affordable.
response / report this review -
24 February 2017
One of my favorite places to visit. The art in the chapel is fabulous and the atmosphere is peaceful and quiet. Do yourself a favor and spend an hour or two on the steps near the entrance and take in the spirit of the Medici. I love this place.
response / report this review -
21 February 2017
Now it's €10. The courtyard is Better than inside, the courtyard is free. You pay €10 just to see the ceiling you can find in many churches in Rome. The whole thing is 3 minutes walk. Far less spectacular than the interior of Louvre in Paris, or Royal palace in Vienna. Not worth it. Really.
response / report this review -
16 November 2016
A little underwhelming considering the entry price. The place was under renovation and many places were simply inaccessible. The frescoes were amazing, but unless that's your kind of thing, not worth the entry price. The Medici's certainly left their mark on Florence, but their palazzo is not one of those places.
response / report this review -
20 October 2016
This really belongs on your Florence punch list, given the Medici influence over the city. The chapel is the star of the palace, but other rooms and artwork aren't hard on the eyes either. You don't need to spend a long time here. An hour or so is plenty of time.
response / report this review
