The Laurentian Library (Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana) in Florence, Italy is famous as a repository of more than 11,000 manuscripts and 4,500 early printed books. Built in a cloister of the Medicean Basilica di San Lorenzo di Firenze under the patronage of the Medici pope, Clement VII, the Library was built to emphasize that the Medici family were no longer mere merchants but members of intelligent and ecclesiastical society. It contains the manuscripts and books belonging to the private library of the Medici family.

The library is renowned for the architecture planned and built by Michelangelo Buonarroti and is an example of Mannerism. The Laurentian Library was commissioned in 1523 and construction began in 1525. However, when Michelangelo left Florence in 1534, only the walls of the reading room were complete.

It was then continued by Tribolo, Basari, and Ammannati based on plans and verbal instructions from Michelangelo. The library opened by 1571. In this way, the library integrates parts executed by Michelangelo with others built much later in an interpretation of his instructions.

The Laurentian Library is one of the most criticized architectural achievements of Michelangelo. Even Michelangelo's contemporaries realized that the compositions and innovations in the Laurentian Library were revolutionary breaks in society. The two-story Quattrocento cloister was to remain unchanged by the addition of the library.

Because of this, certain features of Michelangelo’s plan such as the length and width were already laid out. Therefore walls were built on already pre-existing walls and cloisters. Because the walls were built on pre-existing walls, recessing the columns into the walls was a structural necessity.

This also led to a very unique style and pattern that Michelangelo takes advantage of. The vestibule, also known as the ricetto, is 19.50 m. long, 20.30 m.

wide, and 14.6 m. tall (31 by 34 by 44 feet). It was built above existing monastic quarters on the east range of the cloister, with an entrance from the upper level of the cloisters.

Originally, Michelangelo had planned for a skylight but the Pope believed that it would cause the roof to leak so clerestory windows were incorporated into the west wall. Blank tapering windows framed in peitra serena, circumscribe the interior of the vestibule, separated by paired columns set into the wall.

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