The Santa Croce Church is located a few blocks to the east of most of the well-known
sights of Florence. Its construction began in 1294, and continued for the next century-and-a-half.
It has a white façade which wasn't added until the 19th Century. It was added at that
time by the Jewish architect Niccolo Matas, who somehow got away with featuring a
prominent Star of David near the top. He was denied burial inside the church, though,
instead being buried under the porch.
Santa Croce Church
Santa Croce is the largest Franciscan church in the world and features many chapels
with impressive frescoes, some by Giotto. There is a museum in the former refectory
building (dining hall) with additional artworks. But the church is probably best known
for the people buried in it. A few of the eternal residents are Michelangelo, Galileo,
Ghiberti, Machiavelli and Rossini. There are also monuments to many prominent Italians
who aren't buried there, such as Dante, da Vinci, Raphael and Marconi.
To get to Santa Croce from the Duomo, we headed south down the Via dei Calzaiuoli (the
Street of the Many Vowels), hung a left at the Piazza della Signoria (more on this
piazza later) and continued on to the church. The piazza in front of the church was
for some reason filled with scaffolding, denying us a good view of the church's front.
The entrance was on the north side of the church, where we paid our money and went in.
Church and Scaffolding
Inside the Church
Restorers and Main Altarpiece
Main Altarpiece, Niccolò di Pietro Gerini
Church from Altar Area
Cappella Benci
Cappella Bardi di Vernio and Capella Niccolini
Cappella Bardi di Vernio
Cappella Niccolini
Altarpiece, Capella Baroncelli
Stained Glass, Capella Baroncelli
Photography wasn't forbidden in the church, and we found much to take pictures of. A
fair amount was hidden from our view, though, as scaffolding being used for restoration
work blocked much of the south side of the church (including Machiavelli's tomb) and
the main altar area behind the main altarpiece.
Tomb of Galileo Galilei
Tomb of Galileo Galilei
Tomb of Michelangelo Buonarroti
Tomb of Michelangelo
Detail, Tomb of Michelangelo
Detail, Tomb of Michelangelo
Tomb of Michelangelo
Tomb of Giaochino Rossini
Monument to Dante Aleghieri
Monument to Leonardo da Vinci
Monument to Guglielmo Marconi
Monument to Niccolini
From the church we walked over to the museum and looked at the artworks displayed there.
Ascent to Calvary, Spinello Aretino
Crucifixion, Taddeo Gaddi
Resurrection, Niccolo di Pietro Gerini
Chapel with Bas-Relief and Nativity Scene
Tree of the Cross, Taddeo Gaddi
Descent of Christ into Limbo, Angelo Bronzino
Altarpieces in Museum
There were photographs taken during a terrible flood that struck Florence in 1966,
as well as a well-known artwork (a 1288 crucifix by Cimabue) damaged during the
flood. Many artworks were damaged throughout the city, and restoration continues
to the present day.
Photo of 1966 Flood
Damaged Cimabue Crucifix (1287-88)
From the museum we walked through a cloister with a nice view of the 19th Century
campanile and the 15th Century Pazzi Chapel (partly designed by Brunelleschi) and
exited back into the Piazza di Santa Croce.
Cloister
Cappella dei Pazzi and Campanile
By this time, we were ready for lunch and we went looking for a restaurant. We were
going to need energy for our next destination, the famous Uffizi Gallery.