The Medici Chapels are only about 7 minutes’ walk from Florence’s main train station, but the entrance is easy to miss. It is at the back of San Lorenzo church, under the big red dome, at Piazza di Madonna degli Aldobrandini 6. This guide gives you simple walking directions, the trams and bus that stop nearby, airport routes, parking and accessibility tips.
San Lorenzo is in the flat, compact heart of Florence. From the station, the Duomo or most central hotels you will be at the door in under 15 minutes on foot. Public transport helps mainly if you are arriving from the airport or staying outside the centre.
Leave the station by the main exit, cross towards Piazza dell’Unità Italiana with its tall marble obelisk, then follow Via del Melarancio straight ahead. It opens directly into Piazza di Madonna degli Aldobrandini.
From the cathedral, walk up Borgo San Lorenzo to Piazza San Lorenzo. Then follow the long side of the church along Via del Canto de’ Nelli to its far end, where the chapels’ entrance faces the small square.
The small C1 bus runs from Parterre via Via Cavour and stops at Piazza di San Lorenzo and Cappelle Medicee, right by the entrance. It is handy from Piazza della Libertà and the San Marco area.
Both tram lines stop at Alamanni Stazione beside Santa Maria Novella. From there, walk around the front of the station and follow the route above, about 10 minutes in total.
Taxis in Florence are white and wait at ranks, including the big rank outside Santa Maria Novella. You can also book one by phone or app. Ask for “Cappelle Medicee, Piazza di Madonna degli Aldobrandini”.
Intercity coaches usually stop outside the historic centre, for example at Villa Costanza on the A1 motorway or near the Fortezza da Basso. From Villa Costanza, take tram T1 to Alamanni Stazione and walk.
San Lorenzo is a large complex with several separate entrances. The Medici Chapels have their own door at the opposite end from the church façade, beneath the dome of the Chapel of the Princes.
Look for the huge brick drum and red-tiled dome rising above a small, busy square. The museum door is at the base of this building, facing the square and its leather and souvenir stalls.
This is the entrance to the Basilica of San Lorenzo, a separate visit with its own ticket. The Laurentian Library is also separate, reached through the cloister beside the church.
If you can see the plain brick façade straight ahead, you are at the church. If you can see the big dome directly above you, you are at the chapels.
Florence’s tram lines do not enter the medieval streets, but two of them stop next to Santa Maria Novella station, a short walk from the chapels.
T1 connects the Villa Costanza car park and Scandicci in the south-west with the station and the Careggi hospital area in the north.
T2 runs from the airport terminal to the station and on to Piazza San Marco. The airport to Alamanni Stazione takes about 20 minutes.
Buy a ticket from the machine at the stop, a tobacconist or the app, or tap a contactless card where readers are available. One ticket lasts 90 minutes.
Low floors and wide doors make the tram easy with a suitcase, especially from the airport.
Works and events can change services. Check the official tram site on the day.
Approximate times at a relaxed pace. Allow a few extra minutes in summer crowds.
| Starting point | Route | Time | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Maria Novella station | Piazza dell’Unità Italiana, then Via del Melarancio | ≈7 min | ≈500 m |
| Mercato Centrale | South through the San Lorenzo market streets | ≈3 min | ≈200 m |
| Duomo | Borgo San Lorenzo, then Via del Canto de’ Nelli | ≈7 min | ≈450 m |
| Palazzo Medici Riccardi | Via de’ Gori to Piazza San Lorenzo, then along the church | ≈5 min | ≈350 m |
| Accademia (David) | Via Ricasoli, Via de’ Pucci and Via de’ Gori | ≈10 min | ≈750 m |
| Piazza della Signoria | Via dei Calzaiuoli to the Duomo, then Borgo San Lorenzo | ≈15 min | ≈1.1 km |
| Ponte Vecchio | Via Por Santa Maria, Via Calimala, then past the Duomo | ≈17 min | ≈1.3 km |
Florence Airport is close to the city, and the tram brings you almost to the door. From Pisa, the train ends at the same station.
The tram stop is just outside the terminal. Ride about 20 minutes to Alamanni Stazione, then walk about 10 minutes. Allow around 45 minutes from leaving the plane to reaching the chapels, plus baggage time.
Taxis from the airport charge a fixed fare to the city centre. Rates depend on the time and day, and bags cost extra, so confirm the current price at the rank.
Take the PisaMover shuttle to Pisa Centrale, then a regional train to Firenze Santa Maria Novella, about an hour. The chapels are 7 minutes’ walk from the platform exit.
Large bags are not allowed in the museum. Leave them at your hotel or at the left-luggage service inside Santa Maria Novella station, which is on your way.
If you book a timed entry on arrival day, choose a slot at least two to three hours after your scheduled landing. Delays and baggage reclaim are hard to predict.
Use the main exit at the head of the platforms. The church of Santa Maria Novella stands across the square.
Cross to Piazza dell’Unità Italiana, the small square with a white marble obelisk, and continue straight into Via del Melarancio.
Via del Melarancio leads directly into Piazza di Madonna degli Aldobrandini. The entrance is under the big dome.
San Lorenzo is inside Florence’s limited traffic zone (ZTL). Cameras fine cars without a permit, and the museum has no visitor parking.
The underground car park at the station is one of the closest to San Lorenzo. Check the access route and rates before you go.
The car park by the Fortezza da Basso is about 15 minutes’ walk from the chapels, or a short tram ride from the station.
Leave the A1 motorway directly into this car park, then take tram T1 to Alamanni Stazione. No city driving needed.
ZTL fines are sent through the rental company, often months later and with an admin fee. Let your sat-nav guide you to a car park, not to the museum address.
The streets around San Lorenzo are flat but paved with uneven stone and often crowded with market stalls. Inside, the main route is accessible with staff help.
The entrance on Piazza di Madonna degli Aldobrandini is step-free from the street.
A lift links the crypt on the ground floor with the Chapel of the Princes and the New Sacristy on the floor above.
A mobile ramp gives access to the New Sacristy. Staff set it up, so ask at the entrance.
Courtesy wheelchairs are available. Ask security staff when you arrive.
From the station, the Via del Melarancio route is short and flat. The market stalls around the church can narrow the pavement.
Michelangelo’s Secret Room is reached by a narrow staircase. The rest of the museum remains accessible.
These rules come from the Musei del Bargello visitor regulations, which apply to the Medici Chapels.
Bags, backpacks and helmets larger than this are not allowed. Suitcases must stay at your hotel or in left luggage.
Selfie sticks, walking poles and umbrellas that do not fold must be left in the space provided at the entrance.
Eating and drinking inside are not allowed. A small closed bottle of water, medicines and baby food are permitted.
Personal photos are allowed where permitted. Flash, tripods, professional equipment and drones are not.
Swimwear, bare chests and bare feet are not allowed. Comfortable shoes are recommended.
Keep your phone on silent and take calls outside, especially in the New Sacristy.
The museum opens Tuesday to Sunday at 8:15 and closes at 18:50. It is closed on Mondays, and last tickets are sold 40 minutes before closing.
The market stalls may still be setting up, the square is calm and the New Sacristy is at its quietest. Late afternoon is the second-best option.
Many tours meet somewhere nearby rather than at the museum door. Your voucher shows where to go.
San Lorenzo is a busy market area. These landmarks help you find your way through the stalls.
The dome of the Chapel of the Princes is the second-largest in Florence after the Duomo. You can see it from the station area and from the market streets.
This white marble obelisk marks the start of Via del Melarancio, the straight street to the chapels.
This seated marble figure stands in Piazza San Lorenzo in front of the church. When you see it, turn and follow the side of the church.
Rows of leather and souvenir stalls line the streets around the church and the square in front of the chapels.
The large iron-and-glass market hall is just north of the chapels. If you reach it, you have gone a little too far.
A few minutes of preparation saves a lot of wandering around the market streets.
Save “Piazza di Madonna degli Aldobrandini 6” in your map app, not “San Lorenzo”.
The museum is closed on Mondays, so plan another stop for that day.
Anything bigger than 40 × 30 × 18 cm should stay at the hotel or in left luggage.
Get your tram or bus ticket before boarding, or use a contactless card.
Use a car park at the station, the Fortezza or Villa Costanza.
Phone signal can be weak in stone streets and inside the museum.
Short answers to the questions visitors ask most often.
At Piazza di Madonna degli Aldobrandini 6, at the back of San Lorenzo, under the dome of the Chapel of the Princes. It is not through the church’s main façade.
About 500 metres, or a 7-minute walk via Piazza dell’Unità Italiana and Via del Melarancio.
The C1 electric bus stops at Cappelle Medicee and Piazza di San Lorenzo in the southbound direction.
Take tram T2 to Alamanni Stazione (about 20 minutes) and walk about 10 minutes, or take a fixed-fare taxi.
No. The area is inside the ZTL. Use the station car park, Fortezza Fiera or the Villa Costanza park-and-ride.
Only small bags up to 40 × 30 × 18 cm. Larger backpacks and suitcases are not allowed.
By train, tram T1/T2 or on foot. From further away, the C1 bus stops right by the chapels.
7 minutes from the station via Via del Melarancio, or 7 minutes from the Duomo along the side of San Lorenzo.
Piazza di Madonna degli Aldobrandini 6, with a small bag and your ticket ready.
Images via Wikimedia Commons: Piazza di San Lorenzo and Florence tram (CC BY-SA 4.0) by Txllxt TxllxT and Moliva; Chapel of the Princes exterior by Teo Pollastrini (CC BY-SA 4.0); Santa Maria Novella station by Gunnar Klack (CC BY-SA 4.0); Basilica of San Lorenzo by Richard Mortel (CC BY 2.0).
