About This Location
Piazza di San Lorenzo is a working, everyday square with one of Florence’s most unusual church fronts. The Basilica of San Lorenzo dominates the view, and the first thing to notice is its plain, unfinished façade - bare stone instead of polished marble. That unfinished look is not an accident. A grand façade project was planned, and Michelangelo was involved in designs for it, but it was never carried through. What remains is a rare sight in Florence: a major church that still shows its “under construction” face centuries later. From the square, the Medici presence is still obvious. The dome of the Cappella dei Principi rises nearby, hinting at the huge burial chapel just behind the surrounding buildings. Near the center of the piazza is a monument that many people walk past without a second look: the seated statue of Giovanni delle Bande Nere, carved by Baccio Bandinelli and his workshop. A quirky detail makes it even more memorable - the statue and its base were meant to go together, but they were only finally placed together here in 1850. Standing in this spot, it is easy to see how the neighborhood shifts from monuments to daily life. Streets at the edges lead straight toward the San Lorenzo market area, so the soundscape often changes quickly - footsteps, conversations, and the movement of people cutting through on the way to shops and stalls.