Sculptures of Saint Cosmas, Madonna and Child & Saint Damian - (de' Medici) - Florence, Italy
Posted by: 
neoc1
N 43° 46.516 E 011° 15.200
32T E 681341 N 4849380
Sculptures of Saint Cosmas, Madonna and Child and Saint Damian are found on the tomb of Lorenzo de' Medici known as Lorenzo the Magnificent and his brother Guiliano in the Medici Chapel at Piazza di Madonna degli Aldobrandini, 6, Florence, Italy
Waymark Code: WM15T9F
Location: Toscana, Italy
Date Posted: 02/22/2022
Views: 0
The sepulcher holding the remains of Lorenzo "The Magnificent" de' Medici is located in the new sacristy of the Medici Chapel. Is an altar-like structure with the sculptures of Saint Cosmas by Giovan Angelo de Montorsoli on the left, the Madonna and Child by Michelangelo in the center, and Saint Damian by Raffaello da Montelupo on the right. The sculptures were added by Giorgio Vasari in 1554.
The sepulcher also contains the remains of Lorenzo's brother Guiliano de' Medici who was killed in the Pazzi conspiracy attack in the Florence Cathedral on Easter Morning, April 26, 1478. Lorenzo was wounded but survived the attack.
The front of the sepulcher is inscribed:
LORENZO IL MAGNIFICO & GUILIANO DEI
Lorenzo de' Medici was an Florentine statesman and the de facto ruler of the Florentine Republic from the age of twenty, when his father, Piero di Cosimo de' Medici, died until his death on April 8, 1492 at age 49.
He is famous for being the foremost patron of the Renaissance culture in Italy. Among the artist receiving patronage from Lorenzo were Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Sandro Botticelli, and Domenico Ghirlandaio. Lorenzo himself was an artist and wrote poetry.
Lorenzo also expanded the Medici Library begun by his grandfather Cosimo. He employed a great number of workers to copy books and spread them across Europe.