The Basilica San Lorenzo was consecrated by St Ambrose of Milan
in 393 as the first cathedral of Florence. The Cathedral was
rebuilt in the 11th Century. Fillipo Brunelleschi started the
restructuring the Cathedral in 1418 which was completed by
Antonio Manetti in 1461. Under the Dome, an inscription records
the burial of Cosimo il Vecchio di Medici. While the exterior
of the Cathedral is past it's glory days, the Basilica remains
a masterpiece of Florentine Rennaisance and includes works
by Donatello, Fillipo Lippi, Desidero da Sattignano, Rosso
Fiorentino and Bronzino. The Old Sacristy contains the Verrochio's
monument to Giovanni and Piero de Medici and was designed by
Brunelleschi and decorated by Donatello. Through the Chapel
of the Princes, you can enter Michelangelo's New Sacristy which
houses the tomb of Lorenzo the Magnificent. The Laurentian
Library is accessed through the 15th Century Cloister.
