Basilica of San Lorenzo

The oldest and most significant church in Florence
Word to the wise: See if you can appreciate the architectural contrasts between Brunelleschi’s Old Sacristy and Michelangelo’s New Sacristy.

Noteworthy for: Look out for Michelangelo’s spectacular sculptures of the four Medici Dukes in The New Sacristy. They’re split into two groups: ‘Dawn and Dusk’ and ‘Day and Night'.
If you’re a religious history buff, you’ll already know about San Lorenzo. First consecrated in 393AD, it served as the city’s cathedral until the 8th century, and was later the private parish church of the Medici family. In 1419, it was rebuilt by Brunelleschi and became the burial site of a string of principal members of the Medici family - from Cosimo il Vecchio to Cosimo III.

Although the facade is plain - thanks to an unresolved disagreement between Pope Leo X and Michelangelo about its design - the interior has everything you’d expect from a grandiose House of God, including pulpits designed by Donatello and frescoes by Bronzino and Fiorentino. It’s also part of a larger complex which includes the famous Medici Chapels and the exhaustive Laurentian Library. Altogether they make up one of Florence’s most significant sights.