The Laurentian Medici Opera was established in order to restore unity and ancient decor to the Laurentian Medici Complex which includes the Basilica of San Lorenzo with the Old Sacristy, the cloisters and the monumental annexes, the Laurentian Library and the Museum of Medici Chapels.
The aim of the Medici Laurentian work is the ordinary and extraordinary maintenance of the Medici Laurentian monument, the management of services for the same, the organization of cultural events that contribute to the enhancement of the complex to promote its knowledge and protection.
With the nineteenth-century suppression of religious bodies, the library was legally separated from the rest of the complex and the State-owned Museum of the Medici Chapels was created. The Laurentian Medicean Opera was established by Royal Decree on 2 September 1907 for the management and protection of the Basilica of San Lorenzo with the Old Sacristy, the cloisters and the monumental annexes,
The Laurentian Medici Opera was established in order to restore unity and ancient decor to the Laurentian Medici Complex which includes the Basilica of San Lorenzo with the Old Sacristy, the cloisters and the monumental annexes, the Laurentian Library and the Museum of Medici Chapels.
The aim of the Medici Laurentian work is the ordinary and extraordinary maintenance of the Medici Laurentian monument, the management of services for the same, the organization of cultural events that contribute to the enhancement of the complex to promote its knowledge and protection.
With the nineteenth-century suppression of religious bodies, the library was legally separated from the rest of the complex and the State-owned Museum of the Medici Chapels was created. The Laurentian Medicean Opera was established by Royal Decree on 2 September 1907 for the management and protection of the Basilica of San Lorenzo with the Old Sacristy, the cloisters and the monumental annexes,
Dott. Paolo Padoin
Dr.ssa Anna Rita Fantoni
Arch. Maria Cristina Valenti
Dott. Antonio Lovascio
Dott. Bernardo Gondi
Prof. Piero Tani
Monsignore Marco Domenico Viola
Prof. Aldo Bompani
First of all, welcome to this basilica, the beating heart of a larger monumental complex in which the Renaissance took shape, the highest expression that the West has ever produced. More than a simple visit, we invite you to make your own inner journey guided by what architecture and other arts want to tell you about the Christian mystery. Crossing the threshold of this church is also entering the most intimate space of a community that has been celebrating its faith here for over 1600 years, sings of hope, draws lymph to bear witness to the attentive love for man. Our history is engraved on these stones, made up of moments of celebration, joy but also sadness and mourning. We would therefore like you not only to feel welcomed but also ideally enveloped by our history and, to do so, we invite you to contemplate in silence the beauty that surrounds you by letting it enter you. A hasty, noisy, distracted tourism or attracted only by the forms does not leave anything in the soul.
But we also want to add: Thank you! We ask those who visit this basilica for a contribution. This is a very concrete way to share with us the honor and the burden of guarding this monument. The factory in charge of the maintenance of the church could not, without your help, ensure the custodians and cleaning staff, take care of the utilities and plan indispensable and expensive restorations. As you can see, a transept of the basilica is dedicated exclusively for personal prayer and has its access from a side door. If you are a believer or you wish, you could end your visit there. Not to extend your gaze further to other works of art but to gather yourself in yourself. We wish you then that the harmonious beauty of these spaces and the serene peace they emanate can be leaven that ferments your days, helping you to live your daily life with more light and joy.
The prior of the basilica
The President and the Laurentian Chapter of the Laurentian Opera