In 1515, on the occasion of Pope Leo X’s (son of Lorenzo the Magnificent) stopover in Florence, the Basilica of San Lorenzo once again claimed the attention and commitment of the greatest artists of the period. These artists participated in a competition for the completion of the facade of the church, which had remained unfinished. The contest of 1515 included some of the most brilliant artists, such as Raffaello Sanzio, Giuliano da Sangallo, Baccio d’Agnolo, and Andrea and Jacopo Sansovino. But among all of them, the one who really stood out was Michelangelo Buonarroti. His proposed design for the facade (a wooden model made in 1518 by Michelangelo is conserved in the Buonarroti Museum), signaled his entrance into realms where the great genius would leave an inerasable mark: architecture and sculpture.

Michelangelo was the undisputed protagonist of the Laurentian Complex’s expansion phase. Specifically, some of his most famous works were the: Laurentian Medici Library, New Sacristy (which is actually an annex of the Museum of the Medici Chapels), and Counter-facade of the church, which remained unfinished on the exterior wall. Michelangelo worked at San Lorenzo from the beginning of 1520 until 1534, when he completely abandoned his work in Florence to go to Rome.

His work in the Laurentian Complex, exceptionally important for its characteristic medley of architecture and sculpture, is also important in describing the artist’s role regarding the Medici family. His position represented a rare case for the epoch: an open collaboration between patron and artist. In fact, for almost 15 years San Lorenzo was a permanent work area for Michelangelo, with its laboratories for large-scale undertakings. Although the Medici were his patrons as well as financial backers, it didn’t prevent Michelangelo from becoming their proud political adversary.

After all, it was no secret that he was biased regarding a democratic Republic. So when the Florentines experienced their last season of liberty (1527-1530), it was Michelangelo who held tight as supporter of the new government. He was even appointed military engineer during the epic siege of 1530, a position that called for his creativity in another realm: defending the city of Florence. Nevertheless, once the Medici returned victorious to the city, they didn’t persecute their political enemy. In fact, he was called to continue and finish his work already begun at San Lorenzo. It was Michelangelo’s decision to leave Florence for the papal court in Rome. Fortunately, the Medici did not hold him back. This is due to both their open-mindedness as well as their far-sightedness, meaning that it was more important at the time for the Medici to allocate to the supremacy their personal glory as artistic patrons rather than the nit-picky-ness of politics. They knew that further down the line this would help to immortalize the fame and prestige of other generations of exceptionally talented artists as well as themselves.

In this sense, and in the light of this historical truth, Michelangelo’s work in San Lorenzo needs to be read and interpreted beyond their universally recognized priceless artistic value.