Tomb artistry by Michelangelo for Lorenzo the Magnificent di Medici

One day during our program here in Florence we went to see the Medici Chapels, including the Chapel of the Princes. The Chapel was vast and adorned with the artwork of Michelangelo. The interior was filled with dark colors, like dark green, black, and navy. However, the ceiling was painted with brilliant hues of red, blue, and yellow. When my peers and I looked up at the huge ceiling, we were awestruck with the beauty and detail used in the artwork. It depicted biblical scenes and portrayed Jesus as the only figure void of color, which added to his air of holiness.

We then visited the New Sacristy, which Michelangelo also designed upon the request of Cardinal Giulio de Medici. The sculptures featured inside are supposed to portray some of the members of the Medici family, including Lorenzo the Magnificent and his brother Giuliano. However, Michelangelo's work was left unfinished, and we saw one of his sketches featured on one of the blank walls. After we left the Medici Chapels, we ventured on to grab lunch and read more of Book 6 from the Aeneid. We ended the day by eating at a nearby restaurant with the whole group.