CHAPTER X.
I The collegiate church of S.Lorenzo at Florence had long been associated with the Medicean family, who were its most distinguished benefactors, Giovanni d'Averardo de' Medici, together with the heads of six other Florentine houses, caused it to be rebuilt at the beginning of the fifteenth century.

He took upon himself the entire costs of the sacristy and one chapel; it was also owing to his suggestion that Filippo Brunelleschi, in the year 1421, designed the church and cloister as they now appear.

When he died, Giovanni was buried in its precincts, while his son Cosimo de' Medici, the father of his country, continued these benevolences, and bestowed a capital of 40,000 golden florins on the Chapter.

He too was buried in the church, a simple monument in the sacristy being erected to his memory.
Lorenzo the Magnificent followed in due course, and found his last resting-place at S.Lorenzo.
We have seen in a previous chapter how and when Leo X.conceived the idea of adding a chapel which should serve as mausoleum for several members of the Medicean family at S.Lorenzo, and how Clement determined to lodge the famous Medicean library in a hall erected over the west side of the cloister.

Both of these undertakings, as well as the construction of a facade for the front of the church, were assigned to Michelangelo.