Embedded Collections: The Cappella dei Principi and its Forerunners

The Cappella dei Principi at San Lorenzo in Florence remains one of the largest chapels decorated in the difficult and highly expensive technique known as commesso or Florentine mosaic. Commissioned by Ferdinando I de' Medici in 1604 as the funerary chapel for the Medici grand dukes, the chapel asserts the political, financial, and spiritual authority of the dynasty through the display of an impressive collection of rare and difficult-to-work stone specimens, literally embedded into the structure of the space itself. Examining the communicative strategies at play in early modern forerunners of the Cappella dei Principi, including the chapel of Renée of France (Castello Estense, Ferrara), the Cappella del Perdono (Palazzo Ducale, Urbino), and the Gaddi and Niccolini Chapels in Florence, this article argues that although a spectacularly impressive use of commesso, the Cappella dei Principi's decoration and design build upon late 16th century spaces featuring hardstone revetments to engage with the connotations of spiritual privilege and temporal power associated with these elite materials in the early modern period.