Basilica di San Lorenzo
The Basilica di San Lorenzo (English: Saint Lawrence's Basilica) is a major church located in Florence, Italy, and the burial place of the prominent members of the Medici family, including Lorenzo de' Medici.
History[edit | edit source]
Construction[edit | edit source]
San Lorenzo claims to be the oldest church in Florence, consecrated in 393 while still outside the city walls.[1]
Michelangelo designed the inner facade, while Filippo Brunelleschi, the creator of Santa Maria del Fiore's dome, designed the layout. He died before the church was finished and several of his designs were subsequently modified.[1]
Containing nearly fifty tombs, the Medici crypt was intended to house the Holy Sepulchre containing the body of Jesus Christ at its centre. However, attempts to buy it and, then, to steal it from Jerusalem failed.[1]
Bonfire of the Vanities[edit | edit source]
In 1497, after the monk Girolamo Savonarola seized control of Florence, his Captain of the Guard laid a trap at San Lorenzo to eliminate dissidents. The captain and his men would ambush anyone who ventured into the basilica's enclosed courtyard, overwhelming them with their superior numbers. Many individuals fell victim to the trap until the Assassin Ezio Auditore da Firenze, seeking to end Savonarola's rule over Florence, confronted the captain and his guards and killed them all after a lengthy fight.[2]
Modern times[edit | edit source]
In 2012, during Desmond Miles' Animus session reliving Ezio's genetic memories, a glyph left by Clay Kaczmarek could be found on the basilica.[3]
Gallery[edit | edit source]
-
The basilica just after dawn
Appearances[edit | edit source]
- Assassin's Creed II (first appearance)