Florence, Italy: Beautiful, Historic, Impressive, and Overpriced Like Everything in Florence

Palazzo Medici Riccardi
Via Camillo Cavour 3
50129 Firenze, Italy
Phone: +39 055 2760340
Website: palazzo-medici.it
Prices: $$$$

One of the most ancient and important palaces in Florence, Palazzo Medici Riccardi belonged to the infamous Medici family who started construction in 1445 under the direction of Michelozzo di Bartolomeo, completing the palace in about 10 years.

Courtyard and Statues

Palazzo Medici Riccardi sits prominently on the northwest corner of Via L. Gori just one block north of the Piazza del Duomo (take the street that heads north just between the Battistero di San Giovanni - aka Baptistry of Saint John - and Santa Maria del Fiore - aka "Duomo" or "Cathedral". Entrance is €7 for adults and includes the impressive Capella dei Magi di Benozzo Gozzoli (Chapel of the Magi by Benozzo Gozzoli), the Medici family chapel and the first thing you visit as you enter the apartments on the second (European first) floor. Not very large, the chapel's ornate frescoes, painted in the mid-Fifteenth Century by Gozzoli, tell the story of the journey of the three kings to Bethlehem interspersed with members of the powerful Medici family along the way.

Magi Chapel

The rest of the apartment has a few pieces of furniture, some statues, paintings and tapestries, but the most impressive thing is the palace itself, its beautiful courtyards, and the chapel of course. There are art exhibitions in three locations around the courtyard on the ground floor which are included in your admission.

Palace Interior

Definitely worth a visit, I am not sure it is worth €7 ($7.60) and would be a much better value in the €4 to €5 range. Florence would definitely benefit from a "reasonably priced" all inclusive museum day-ticket option other than the Firenze Card (€72 - good for 72 hours). The Amici degli Uffizi card (€60/adult and good from Jan 1 - Dec 31) used to allow free entry into most of the major museums and churches, including unlimited access to the Uffizi Gallery and Galleria L'academia (statue of David), but starting in June 2015 they limited entry only to the Uffizi, making it a much less attractive option.

Medici Family Portraits

CombatCritic Gives Palazzo Medici Riccardi 6 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Six Bombs Equates To:

"Good To Go"

Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - Elite '14/'15/'16

TripAdvisor - Top Contributor

Tabelog - Official Judge (Bronze)

Zomato - #1 Ranked Foodie





... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube

Title: Florence, Italy: Beautiful, Historic, Impressive, and Overpriced Like Everything in Florence

Key Words: Palazzo Medici Riccardi, palazzo, Medici, riccardi, Florence, Firenze, Italy, Italia, magi, chapel, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, attraction, museum, review, Yelp, TripAdvisor

Translation for Civilians: