THE SAN LORENZO BASILICA

Consecrated by St. Ambrose in 393, it is the oldest church in the city. It was then rebuilt along Romanesque lines in 1060. The present building dates to 1423and was designed and built by Brunelleschi. In rebuilding the basilica, Brunelleschi proposed his new type of church, decidedly classicizing, flooded with light fora distinct architectural clarity (and not mystically in half light as in precedence), absolutely regular and symmetrical in its corrispondences, in the continuous orchestration. Inside there are works by Rosso Fiorentino, Desiderio da Settignano, Donatello and Bronzino.The church is flanked by the splendid square-shaped Old Sacristy by Brunelleschi and the New Sacristy by Michelangelo, that houses the Medici family tombs, the so called Medici Chapels. To the left of the church is the Laurentian Library, also designed by Michelangelo, by order of the Medici family who wanted a place to conserve their fine collection of books, papyri and manuscripts. Not far from the San Lorenzo complex is the Central Market, a fine example of late 19th century steel and glass architecture.