Florence belongs to humanity.. 

It all starts with Gian Gastone in 1737, the last Grand Duke of the Medici Dynasty and one that most people have never even heard of is wasting away in the grand Palazzo Pitti. Sure, Lorenzo, the art-lover is well known with his crooked nose a common portrait found in town and of course the illustrious Cosimo. But the end is sort of where this story actually begins. The history of Florence is vast, and it can be intimidating to tackle centuries of history in a visit which is why we are pretty grateful that there is a theater show in town that kindly does it for you. There are so many artistic greats who have made an incredible mark on the city known as the ‘cradle of the Renaissance’, Michelangelo, Donatello, Brunelleschi, Ghiberti to name a few.

The Medici Dynasty Show is an English-language production taking place in the San Lorenzo neighborhood, which is decidedly an up and coming part of town which we covered recently on the blog. The show is only one hour long and transverses 300 years of history in one go, through the poignant story between a fighting sister and brother, the last of the Medici’s and one confounding question. What will happen to all of the cultural heritage that the family built up over hundred’s of years, and what will be the future of Florence? It is an interest foray before one goes to the Uffizi gallery and the “Patto di Famiglia” or the “Family Pact”which essentially explains how the museum, and much of the city’s cultural treasures came to be. Europe’s coolest donation by one family to a city that will be forever grateful.

What I personally enjoyed about the Medici Dynasty Show was the fact that they mingled the drama of theater itself with a multimedia experience that played well with the subject matter. The actors (there are only two) successfully bring the Medici’s to life and visitors are privy to an interesting social dynamic and a small insert into the emotional world of a noble, frail and complicated family. For people who are visiting for the first time, or heck who also live here, they will certainly get an entertaining education, and all before dinner.

You will find the entrance to the theater on the first floor of the San Giovannino dei Padri Scolopi complex (which dates back to 1351) in front of San Lorenzo church, which was the Medici family’s personal cathedral (we highly recommend a visit). Shows run from Wednesday to Sunday from 7-8pm and tickets cost 29 euros, while students pay only 20. Kids under 12 can see the show free. For bookings please send them an email to: reservations@medicidynasty.com. Shows run until the end of November and then close for the season until April 2016.