The easiest public-transport anchor for the Medici Chapels is Firenze Santa Maria Novella / Unità. From Florence Airport, take the T2 tram to the station-side center, then walk toward San Lorenzo and finish at Piazza di Madonna degli Aldobrandini, 6.

The important detail is that the Medici Chapels are connected with the San Lorenzo complex, but the practical visitor target is not simply the front of Basilica di San Lorenzo. Use San Lorenzo as the neighborhood cue, then narrow your final target to Cappelle Medicee at Piazza di Madonna degli Aldobrandini.

Start with SMN or Unità, not a bus puzzle

For most visitors, the cleanest arrival point is Firenze Santa Maria Novella or the nearby Unità tram stop. This works especially well if you are coming from Florence Airport, arriving by train, or staying near the station side of the historic center.

There is no need to build a complicated local bus route through central Florence for this short final approach. Once you are around SMN / Unità, the Medici Chapels are close enough that walking usually gives you more control than waiting for another vehicle and still having to solve the final entrance.

Think of the route in two parts:

  1. Reach the SMN / Unità area.
  2. Walk into the San Lorenzo area and find the Medici Chapels entrance.

The second part is where the article matters. San Lorenzo can mean the basilica, the neighborhood, the market streets, or the wider church complex. For the Medici Chapels, your final wording should be more exact: Cappelle Medicee, Piazza di Madonna degli Aldobrandini, 6.

From Florence Airport, take T2 toward the center

From Florence Airport, follow signs to the tram stop Peretola Aeroporto. Take tram T2 toward central Florence and get off around the SMN / Unità side of the center.

After the tram, do not look for another train or tram. Start walking toward San Lorenzo. Your larger direction is away from the airport and station edge, into the busier historic-center streets near the market and basilica.

A useful way to avoid confusion is to use two targets in order:

  • First target: San Lorenzo
  • Final target: Piazza di Madonna degli Aldobrandini, 6

If you search only “San Lorenzo,” your map may pull you toward the basilica, market streets, or a general neighborhood point. That is fine for orientation, but not enough for the museum entrance.

With a small bag, this route is usually the most sensible public-transport choice. With rolling luggage, heavy rain, tired children, or a strict timed entry, a taxi from the airport to the San Lorenzo / Medici Chapels area can be calmer.

From Firenze Santa Maria Novella, walk into the San Lorenzo side

If you arrive by train at Firenze Santa Maria Novella, stay simple. Leave the station area and walk toward San Lorenzo, then narrow the final approach to Piazza di Madonna degli Aldobrandini.

The first part may still feel like a station neighborhood: hotels, traffic edges, luggage, people moving in different directions. As you get closer to San Lorenzo, the route should feel more compact and market-adjacent. You may notice more foot traffic, small shops, food signs, outdoor stalls, and people moving between the basilica, Mercato Centrale, and nearby museum entrances.

That change in street feeling is useful. You are moving from the railway edge into the San Lorenzo pocket.

The wrong direction feels different. If you find yourself drifting toward the Arno, Santa Croce, or the Oltrarno side, you are moving away from the Medici Chapels.

San Lorenzo helps you get close, but it is not the final doorway

This is the small trap that makes the Medici Chapels worth a separate directions article.

Basilica di San Lorenzo is the big landmark. It tells you that you are in the right area. But the Medici Chapels visitor entrance is tied to the museum access around Piazza di Madonna degli Aldobrandini, not simply the most obvious church façade.

Mercato Centrale is also nearby. It is a useful clue from SMN because the station-to-San-Lorenzo walk often passes near market activity. But the market is not the museum either.

Use the landmarks like this:

Nearby cue How to use it
Firenze SMN / Unità Best arrival anchor from train or airport tram
Basilica di San Lorenzo Confirms you are in the right neighborhood
Mercato Centrale Confirms you are near the market side of San Lorenzo
Piazza di Madonna degli Aldobrandini Final target for the Medici Chapels
Cappelle Medicee signage / entrance flow Final confirmation that you have arrived

The mistake is stopping too early. Seeing San Lorenzo stone, market stalls, or the basilica area means you are close. It does not automatically mean you are at the Medici Chapels entrance.

The final approach around Piazza di Madonna degli Aldobrandini

As you get close, slow down and stop following only the biggest crowd. Some people are going to Mercato Centrale, some are heading toward the Duomo, and others are simply moving through the San Lorenzo market streets.

Keep your map pinned to Piazza di Madonna degli Aldobrandini, 6. The area can feel tight rather than grand: small crossings, people pausing near entrances, market-side movement, and the San Lorenzo complex sitting close to several different pedestrian flows.

If you reach Basilica di San Lorenzo first, do not panic. You are not lost. Treat the basilica as the large anchor, then adjust toward the Medici Chapels side and the Aldobrandini address.

If you reach Mercato Centrale first, you are also close, but not finished. Re-center on Cappelle Medicee rather than the food hall or the outdoor stalls.

When you are close, the right route should feel like this: San Lorenzo is nearby, the market streets are around you, and the final target is a museum entrance flow for Cappelle Medicee, not a general church or market entrance.

From the Duomo or central Florence, walk north toward San Lorenzo

If you are already in central Florence, walking is usually the best option.

From the Duomo, walk north toward San Lorenzo, then continue toward Piazza di Madonna degli Aldobrandini. From Piazza della Repubblica or Piazza della Signoria, aim for the Duomo / San Lorenzo side rather than drifting south toward the Arno.

From Santa Croce or the Bargello side, you are crossing the center from the east. Keep San Lorenzo as the larger direction and use the Medici Chapels address for the final few minutes.

From Pitti Palace, Boboli Gardens, or Santo Spirito, remember that this is not an Oltrarno destination. Cross the river first, move back into the central sightseeing spine, then continue toward San Lorenzo.

The route is not difficult, but Florence’s old center can make short walks feel folded. The safest mental shortcut is: Duomo side → San Lorenzo → Piazza di Madonna degli Aldobrandini.

When a taxi is the better choice

Taxi is useful when comfort matters more than saving money or keeping the route public-transport-only. It is a good choice from Florence Airport if you have luggage, rain, late arrival, children, limited mobility, or a museum time that leaves no room for wandering.

Ask for one of these:

  • Cappelle Medicee
  • Piazza di Madonna degli Aldobrandini, 6
  • Medici Chapels near San Lorenzo

Avoid saying only “San Lorenzo” if you need the museum entrance. That can be interpreted as the basilica, the neighborhood, or the general market area.

A taxi may not always place you exactly at the doorway because central Florence streets can be crowded or restricted. That is normal. Once you step out, check whether you are near Basilica di San Lorenzo, Mercato Centrale, or Piazza di Madonna degli Aldobrandini, then finish on foot.

If San Lorenzo suddenly feels like three places

Stop and reset with one exact target: Cappelle Medicee, Piazza di Madonna degli Aldobrandini, 6.

Do not chase every nearby San Lorenzo sign. Do not follow the largest crowd without checking where it is going. Do not assume the market, basilica, and museum share one obvious entrance.

Use this order:

  1. Find your stable anchor: SMN, Unità, Basilica di San Lorenzo, Mercato Centrale, or Piazza di Madonna degli Aldobrandini.
  2. Ignore broad “San Lorenzo” wording for a moment.
  3. Re-search or re-check Cappelle Medicee.
  4. Walk to the museum entrance flow, not just the church façade or market stalls.

This is the whole navigation problem in miniature: the destination is famous, but the final doorway sits inside a busy knot of nearby landmarks.

Quick route choices

Starting point Best route Why
Florence Airport T2 tram to SMN / Unità, then walk Clean public-transport route with no bus transfer
Firenze SMN Walk toward San Lorenzo and Aldobrandini Shortest practical station approach
Unità tram stop Walk toward San Lorenzo Useful tram-side anchor from the airport
Duomo Walk north toward San Lorenzo Simple central Florence walk
Mercato Centrale Walk to Piazza di Madonna degli Aldobrandini Very close, but do not confuse market with museum
Pitti / Oltrarno Cross the river, then aim toward Duomo / San Lorenzo Longer walk from the opposite side
Airport with luggage or rain Taxi to Cappelle Medicee / Aldobrandini Reduces station and market-street friction

Small questions before you go

What is the nearest useful station to the Medici Chapels?

The most useful train and tram anchor is Firenze Santa Maria Novella / Unità. From there, walk toward San Lorenzo and finish at Piazza di Madonna degli Aldobrandini.

Can I walk from the Duomo?

Yes. Walk north toward San Lorenzo, then use Piazza di Madonna degli Aldobrandini as the final target.

Are the Medici Chapels inside San Lorenzo?

They are part of the San Lorenzo complex, but for navigation you should not stop at the basilica façade. The visitor target is Cappelle Medicee, Piazza di Madonna degli Aldobrandini, 6.

Should I take a bus from SMN?

Usually no. From SMN / Unità, walking is clearer than a short bus hop that may still leave you with the same final entrance puzzle.

Is taxi worth it?

Yes, if you have luggage, rain, children, limited mobility, late arrival, or a tight museum time. Ask for Cappelle Medicee or Piazza di Madonna degli Aldobrandini rather than only “San Lorenzo.”

Last updated: June 2026

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