Basilica di San Lorenzo

Brunelleschi's church for the Medici in the San Lorenzo quarter — its facade still raw and unfinished, the marble cladding Michelangelo designed never installed, so that the rough stone front conceals one of the Renaissance's purest interiors. Inside lie Medici tombs sculpted by Michelangelo and the serene Old Sacristy, a Brunelleschi jewel of harmonious proportion. The contrast between the blank exterior and the riches within is part of the experience. For visitors, it's a profound, less-crowded counterpart to the Duomo — the parish church of the family that made the Renaissance, with masterpieces at every turn.