Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence. Basilica of Santa Croce, Florence: photos and reviews from tourists. Orange courtyard. Bell tower of Santa Croce

The Basilica of Santa Croce (Florence) is one of the main churches of the city and the largest Franciscan temple in the world, built at the end of the 13th century in the Florentine Gothic style, famous as the Pantheon of Florence due to the large number of tombs in which many prominent Italians are buried.

History of construction

According to legend, the founder of Santa Croce is Francis of Assisi (died 1226), the patron saint of Italy, who renounced material wealth in order to bring people the ideas of repentance and peace. Although its construction began in 1295 on the site of a small oratory built by the Franciscans, not far from the Arno River. The name Santa Croce (Florence) is the Church of the Holy Cross translated from Italian. Its project was carried out by A. di Cambio, a local sculptor and architect. Construction was financed by wealthy Florentine families, who considered it an honor to finance the construction of the holy monastery, and lasted almost 150 years. The basilica was consecrated in 1443 by Pope Eugene IV.

The appearance of the church has changed more than once over the past centuries. This is especially true of the façade of Santa Croce (Florence): photo from the early 19th century. shows him completely unadorned. The current appearance of the facade with 3 portals finished in white marble was created only in 1853-1863. architect N. Matas in the neo-Gothic style with money from English Protestants, in particular the British philanthropist F. J. Sloane. That is why the blue six-pointed Star of David, which is not a symbol of Christianity, appeared in the decoration.

Florence: Basilica of Santa Croce (photo and description)

The main part of the building is built in the form of a T-shaped cross. Over the past centuries, extensions (chapels) were gradually added to it on all sides. The lower tiers of the basilica are decorated with beautiful arcades, the upper ones are decorated with double-leaf windows. Along the left side of the building there is a portico of airy and light arches.

Destructions occurred in the 16th century; in 1512, the old bell tower was destroyed by lightning; it could only be restored in 1847 according to the design of G. Baccani, and now it is an excellent addition to the main building.

The Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence also includes 3 monasteries, one of which was designed by A. di Cambio. The other, located in the southern part, was created according to a design by Brunneleschi and is considered one of the most beautiful monasteries in Florence. The smaller 3rd monastery (13th century) closes the group of extraordinary Franciscan buildings.

In front of the Church of Santa Croce in the square there is a statue of Dante, created by the sculptor E. Patzia in 1865. Previously, it was located in the center, but was then moved due to public events closer to the building.

Interior of Santa Croce

The interior consists of a huge monumental space 115 m long, made using unique design solutions. This is especially evident in the design of the central nave, separated from the two side naves by vertical pylons of an octagonal cross-section, from which pointed arches point upward.

At that time, the interior design of the basilica was bold and unconventional, allowing it to stand out from the rest of the religious buildings in the city. Light enters through mosaic windows made by A. Gaddi.

In the 16th century the church was redesigned, which is why (according to experts) it lost a little of its beauty. The ceilings are made of rafter type, and there are tombstones in the floor, occupying almost the entire space of the nave.

Church altar and frescoes

The frescoes decorating the walls near the main altar were made by A. Gaddi (1387) based on the legend of the True Cross. On the right side: Archangel Michael transfers a branch of the Tree of Knowledge, the Queen of Sheba and her worship of the Tree of the Cross, etc. On the left - St. Helena brings the Holy Cross to Jerusalem, then King Percy takes it away, the Byzantine King Heraclius returns the Cross to Jerusalem, etc. d. The frescoes also contain many everyday and fairy-tale scenes. The most beautiful antique stained glass windows were made in the 14th century.

The altar polyptych, painted by N. Gerini, depicts side panels made by other artists, in the upper part there is a “Crucifixion” painted by masters of Giotto’s school.

The altar is crowned by one of the unique paintings of the church - “The Crucifixion”, created by the master Cimabue. This large painting (4.5 x 3.9 m), placed on a wooden cross, is considered the most impressive version of the crucifixion. However, during a flood in 1966, the work was so badly damaged that even restoration attempts could not completely restore it.

Church chapels

Inside the Church of Santa Croce (Florence) there are 16 chapels (chapels) in the transepts, each of which is a separate extension. The chapels are decorated with unique frescoes and sculptures from different centuries, which were made by the most famous masters of Italy: Matteo Rosselli, G. Do San Giovanni, Fra Bartolomeo, J. Lee Bondone and his students.

The most famous of them:

• Maggiore Chapel and the fresco “Legend of the Holy Cross” by A. Gaddi (1380).
• Castellani Chapel with frescoes by A. Gaddi with scenes from the lives of the Saints (1385).
• Chapel of Baroncellia with a family tomb and a beggar, painted by T. Gaddi “Madonna”; on other walls there are motifs from the life of the Virgin Mary.
• The Rinuccini Chapel presents works by the master G. Di Milano, depicting the life of Magdalene and the Virgin Mary (1379).
• The Peruzzi Chapel contains images of the lives of St. John the Baptist and St. John the Theologian, written by the artist Giotto.
• Bardi Chapel - illuminates the life of Fr. Assisi
• Other Tosigni, Pulci, etc.) also store priceless works of art.

Inside the basilica there is a Monastery Courtyard, from which there are also exits to the chapels. Thus, the Capella dei Pazzi, called “a true pearl of the Early Renaissance,” is decorated with the most beautiful works of Brunelleschi (1443), decorated by the famous Italian masters D. da Settignano, L. della Robbia, G. Da Maiano. In front of the chapel is a pronaos consisting of Corinthian columns. In 1461 it was covered with a small dome.

Pantheon of Santa Croce

The most famous people of Italy and honorary citizens of Florence rest in the Church of Santa Croce (Florence). Some burials are true burials, in which deceased celebrities are buried, while others, called cenotaphs, are funerary monuments that do not contain human remains.

Santa Croce is rightfully considered the birthplace of the Renaissance, because... contains the monument-tomb of L. Bruni, an Italian politician, created in 1444 by the master
B. Rossellino. This monument became the model for future Renaissance works, including the tomb of C. Marsuppini near the north wall of the church.

The most famous funerary monuments are located along the right nave of the south wall:

• Monument-bust of Michelangelo, made by the master Vasari (1579), and many statues and figures by G. Battista and V. Cioli. Although Michelangelo died in Rome, he bequeathed himself to be buried in his hometown. Fulfilling his orders and with the permission of the mayor of Florence, L. Buanarotti stole Michelangelo's body from Rome and secretly transported it here.

• The cenotaph of Dante Alighieri and the statues of the heroes of his works were made by the sculptor Ricci (1829).
• Monument to Machiavelli by Spinazia (1787).
• The tomb of Galileo Galilei, who died in 1642, however, due to the ban of the church, was not buried according to Christian customs until 1737. Then his body was transported and placed in the church, the sculptural composition and bust of Galileo were made by G. Battista Foggini.

• Tombstone of the composer G. Rossini, who glorified Italy with the opera “The Barber of Seville”. Nine years after his death in 1868 in Paris, his body was transported from the Père Lachaise cemetery and buried here in Florence.
• Tombstone of the historian and diplomat N. Machiavelli.
• Tomb of Joseph Napoleon and his daughter, etc.

In total, almost 300 famous Italians are buried on the territory of the church, and each tombstone is decorated with sculptures and bas-reliefs.

One of the attractions of the church is the statue of Poetry, made by the Florentine Pio Fedi in 1883, dedicated to the memory of the poet and playwright G. Battista Nicollini. It is installed above his tomb in the Basilica of the Holy Cross.

This figure is very similar to the Statue of Liberty, the work of the outstanding French sculptor Fr. Bartholdi (1887). As is known for certain, Bartholdi lived in Florence in 1870 and was obviously inspired by the work of the Italian sculptor.

The cenotaph of the famous poet Dante (1265-1321), located in the Church of Santa Croce (Florence), is of great interest to tourists. The story of the tomb of the poet, who became famous for his “Divine Comedy” and created the modern literary Italian language, has been going on for several hundred years. After the death of the poet, Florence fights with the city of Ravenna for the right to transport and bury his remains, but cannot achieve this. Everything happened back in the 14th century. due to the fault of the rulers and residents of Florence, who expelled Dante from their city for objectionable statements and oppositional views. The writer moved to Ravenna, where he soon died. When Florence began to ask for Dante’s ashes to be given to her, Ravenna did not agree, and since then the sarcophagus in Santa Croce has stood empty.

Santa Croce: location, opening hours, prices

To find the famous basilica, you need to come to Piazza Santa Croce (Florence), where it stands. In the old days, this square was a venue for fairs and tournaments; now it has become a venue for festivals, performances and concerts. Sometimes competitions are held there, where players dress in ancient costumes and compete according to strict ancient rules.

In Santa Croce (Florence), the opening hours of the museum-church are from 9.30 to 17.30 on weekdays and Saturdays, on holidays - from 14.00 to 17.00.

Ticket price to the church: 8 euros, reduced tickets for children aged 11-17 years, schoolchildren - 4 euros, free entry for children under 11 years old, residents of Florence, disabled people and accompanying persons.

A huge part of the cultural heritage is hidden in its famous temples, and the collections presented in some of them would give a head start to other major art museums. Of course, for tourists in this regard, the Duomo, the main Florentine cathedral, stands apart. He is truly beautiful, needless to say. But during my acquaintance with Florence, other churches made a greater impression on me, and one of the strongest, perhaps, was the Basilica of Santa Croce.

This temple has a special significance for the city: Santa Croce is the local Pantheon, in which the most illustrious and famous natives of Florence are buried. Unfortunately, not all guests of the city “get around” to get here: the basilica is located a little away from the main tourist trails, and people who come to Florence for 1-2 days rush to visit the Uffizi Gallery, Duomo, and other famous attractions . Well, I think that the Basilica of Santa Croce is worthy of being included in this magnificent series of places, as they say, must-sees in Florence. Let's get acquainted with the history of this temple and take a short tour of it.

Construction of a temple in honor of St. Francis

The history of the creation of the church has reached us in a somewhat mythologized form. For example, it is reported that the first stone during the construction was laid by Francis of Assisi himself, the legendary creator of the monastic order, which was later named in his honor. In fact, this ascetic died in 1226, and the construction of the current basilica began only in 1294. True, some kind of church or chapel stood on this site already in 1228.

It is clear that Saint Francis himself had nothing to do with the creation of the temple. But his followers - the Franciscan monks - really developed vigorous activity in different parts of Europe by the end of the 13th century. There were already quite a lot of Franciscans in Florence at that time, and at some point it was decided that it was inappropriate for such a reputable order to huddle in a small church. It was then that the architect Arnolfo di Cambio began to build a large temple, later named “Santa Croce” (translated as “holy cross”).

There were enough funds for construction: the Ghibellines were once again expelled from Florence, and their property was partly plundered, and partly went to charitable causes, including the construction of Santa Croce. In addition, noble Florentine families generously donated for the construction of the church, many of whom decided to have family chapels in the new cathedral. So, when inside you read the names of the chapels with the names Pazzi, Bardi, Peruzzi, etc., know that they all had to spend a lot of money to remain in the centuries.

The site for the construction of the largest Franciscan church in Europe (it still remains such) was not chosen by chance. In those years, the Santa Croce area was considered the outskirts of the city, simple poor people settled here, and later tanners settled here - working people. This was the most faithful flock for the Franciscans - the mendicant order, preaching poverty, asceticism and love of neighbor as the main ideals of a virtuous life, was especially close to workers and the poor.

By the way, it is believed that the Franciscans actively competed for the flock with another famous order, the Dominican. The first were especially popular among the common people because they richly painted the walls of their temples with frescoes. It is not for nothing that di Cambio, when designing Santa Croce, provided a fair number of areas free for painting. For illiterate parishioners, it was actually Holy Scripture in pictures: simple and visual. But the Dominicans, for the time being, did not pay due attention to this aspect of attracting parishioners. The Church of Santa Croce took a long time to build: its consecration took place only in 1443. By that time, a large monastery of Franciscan brothers had also settled at the temple. Subsequently, individual elements of the cathedral were rebuilt many times, so the complex that has come down to us is a composite work of different eras.

Basilica facade

Take, for example, the main façade of Santa Croce: it was built only in the second half of the 19th century. Until that moment, the cathedral simply did not have this part. The situation is common for Florence: another equally famous temple, San Lorenzo, still flaunts this way today.

The facade of the Basilica was strongly criticized at one time, as was the facade of the Duomo: they are really similar. Well, there will probably always be dissatisfied people when it comes to the reconstruction of such sacred objects. It didn’t seem to me that the façade somehow didn’t fit into the image of Santa Croce; everything looked quite natural. It is made in a rather laconic style: there is no abundance of sculptures, reliefs and frescoes that often decorate large temples. Above the three arched spans are three sculptural images on the theme of the life-giving cross and that’s it.

Also on the facade, the six-pointed star attracts attention - a symbol, although from the Old Testament, is somewhat unexpected in the design of a Christian church. It is believed that this star is “hello” from the architect Matas (he was a Jew).

Let's go around the facade on the left side. Here we are immediately greeted by the figure of Dante with a raven.

There are a lot of signs in memory of the famous poet in Florence: there is Dante Street, his museum, several monuments. In my opinion, even Michelangelo did not receive so much attention in Florence. Obviously, it’s a matter of guilt: the man who, one might say, taught his compatriots to speak Italian, was expelled from his hometown and doomed to wander. Dante died in, and was buried there, and Florence constantly asks to return his ashes to his homeland, to which the authorities of Ravenna invariably refuse. So Dante’s tomb in Santa Croce is a so-called cenotaph - a monument without a buried person.

Apparently, noble people began to be buried in the cathedral from the very beginning of its existence; on some tombs it is almost impossible to read anything. As the years passed, the number of celebrities buried here increased, and at some point they decided to make the temple the Florentine Pantheon. So, Michelangelo’s ashes had to be taken from to be buried in Santa Croce. Now about 300 famous Florentines rest in the basilica: scientists, politicians, artists, etc. I will tell you more about the most famous ones below.

Basilica of Santa Croce in the 20th century. At the entrance to the cathedral

The most important disaster in the history of the cathedral was the flood of 1966. How high the water was then in Piazza Santa Croce and in the basilica can be judged from the photograph below. Moreover, the frame, apparently, captures the moment when the water had already receded a little. On some houses in Florence there are signs indicating the maximum flood level in 1966, and so the water then splashed at a height of about 5 meters above the ground (the situation, of course, varied in different areas of the city).

As a result of the disaster, many of the cathedral's masterpieces were seriously damaged. This misfortune is still remembered in Florence, and in Santa Croce you can see stands with descriptions of those events and photographs.

The monastery at the cathedral actually ceased to function by the end of the 18th century, and another 100 years later the Italian authorities started thinking about creating a museum here. The first room opened to the public back in 1900 was the monastery refectory with Gaddi’s famous “Last Supper”. Well, these days the entire cathedral with the territory of the former monastery is one museum complex, which, in an amicable way, needs to be explored all day.

Opening hours and ticket prices

The entrance to the basilica is on the left side of the facade. The ticket costs 8 EUR and is valid throughout the complex: you don’t have to pay extra for entrance to the museum or anywhere else.

From Monday to Saturday the cathedral is open from 09:30 to 17:30, on Sundays and holidays - from 14:00 to 17:30.

I think it's time we head inside.

Inside the cathedral. Florentine Pantheon

Once inside the basilica, let's use the diagram below. Such a plan can be taken for free at the entrance to the cathedral, however, everything there is in Italian.

I’ll say right away: few people can examine in detail all the masterpieces of Santa Croce in one day. Therefore, on the diagram I have indicated the most important objects and suggest that you follow approximately the same route that I took.

Well, when you find yourself in Santa Croce, I hope my diagram will help you quickly find your way around here and easily find all the most interesting things. So we went inside (1). The view immediately opens up impressive.

Initially, the cathedral was made in the Gothic style, but during subsequent alterations, individual elements of the temple underwent serious changes. The Basilica of Santa Croce underwent its most extensive reconstruction in the 16th century. Then, in particular, many old frescoes were hidden under new altars or completely painted over. Those works (carried out, by the way, by Vasari himself) are still interpreted ambiguously by historians and art critics. Subsequently, some old frescoes were nevertheless restored.

I propose to start our tour of the cathedral from its western part, the Pantheon, where the tombs of the most famous Florentines are located. The oldest gravestones are located directly on the floor; they can be found in different parts of the basilica.

I couldn’t make out a single inscription on such monuments, although I didn’t really try. But one of our travelers reports that, for example, one of these burials belongs to the condottiere and podesta (something like the mayor) of the city of Pisa from the Ubertini family. Probably many of these slabs are associated with representatives of the very families who donated money for the construction of the cathedral.

Surprisingly, there are also burials from the 20th century here. The tombs of the most illustrious figures are located within the walls, and these naves once housed the earliest altars of the cathedral. The first thing that caught my attention was a sign with the name of Marconi, one of the inventors of radio.

Later I found out that this was another cenotaph, and there were many similar empty tombs in Santa Croce. Well, Galileo Galilei, whose tombstone (2) we came to, really rests in the cathedral.

True, there are discrepancies regarding the burial place: according to some sources, the ashes of the great scientist lie under a slab near the central doors of the temple. In general, everything was not easy with Galileo: when he died in 1642, the Pope was categorically against this man being buried in Santa Croce. I think there is no need to remind the story of Galileo’s conflict with the church; it is well known to everyone. Even the patronage of the Medici did not save the scientist from disgrace, which continued after his death.

The all-knowing Wikipedia reports that Galileo was first buried in Arcetri and only 100 years later his ashes were transferred to the cathedral. In reality, it seems, everything was different: the Medici managed to convince the pope to compromise, and the scientist was immediately buried in Santa Croce, but not where the luxurious monument now stands (it appeared only in 1737), but in a modest corner inside the Medici Chapel, where a memorial sign is now installed.

Let's move to the opposite wall. Along the way, pay attention to the monument to the poet Niccolini (3) at the very door.

The female figure used in the design of the monument is very reminiscent of the famous Statue of Liberty. It turns out that there is still active debate on the topic of “who plagiarized whom when creating the statue.” Some researchers believe that it was the figure on the Niccolini monument that served as a source of inspiration for the author of Liberty. For reference: The Statue of Liberty was completely finished in 1886, and the monument to the poet is dated 1872.

Well, we are already standing in front of the majestic tomb of Michelangelo (4) with a monument by Vasari.

One of the greatest geniuses of the Renaissance died in 1564. Pope Pius IV intended to erect a tomb for him in the Cathedral of St. : After all, Michelangelo did no less for Rome than he did for Florence. But somehow the Florentines managed to secretly transport the master’s body to their hometown, and as a result he was buried in Santa Croce.

We begin to walk up along the southern nave of the cathedral. On the right we see the already mentioned Dante cenotaph (5).

By the way, at one time the poet studied at a school at a local monastery. She was considered one of the best in Florence, and among her students were several future popes.

In the next niche is the tomb of the famous politician and thinker Niccolo Machiavelli (8).

His study of politics as an "experimental science" and the views he expressed in The Prince had a significant influence on both the theoretical and practical aspects of the political activities of many famous people, for example, Napoleon. Well, the inscription on the monument modestly states that it is impossible to find an epitaph worthy of this man.

Let's continue our path along the southern naves. Please note that on the wall is Donatello’s work “The Annunciation of Cavalcanti” (9).

In the image, the angel who brought the good news kneels before the Virgin Mary. They say that this work from 1435 was housed in the basilica from the very beginning and never moved anywhere, which is very uncharacteristic for masterpieces of that turbulent era. A little further along the wall there are several more noticeable monuments, one of them to the composer Rossini (10).

If you wish, you can find in Santa Croce the tombstones of many more figures of the past, but now, having paid tribute to the great Florentines, we will move on to examining the famous paintings in the chapels of Santa Croce.

Chapels of the basilica

Have you ever heard of Stendhal syndrome? This is when a person becomes ill (the heartbeat quickens, dizziness begins, etc.) from an overabundance of works of art around him. This is the disease of delight. This disease is named after the famous writer, who described his own state of health after visiting one of the churches in Florence. You might be interested to know that this temple was Santa Croce.

Let's see what shocked the writer so much.

Donatello's Crucifixion

Let's go to the point marked 11 on the diagram and stand so that the main altar is to our right. There is an area ahead where visitors are usually not allowed (it is highlighted in dark gray on the plan). In temple-museums in Italy, they often set aside a small space reserved for believers who came specifically to the temple, and not to the museum, and do not want to come into contact with tourists. In Santa Croce these naves are used for these purposes: to the left of the main altar. In principle, there is nothing particularly interesting there, with the exception of the wooden Crucifixion by Donatello from 1408 (12), which has to be viewed from afar.

There is an interesting story connected with this Crucifixion. As you know, Donatello was friends with the no less great master Brunelleschi, the architect of the dome of the Duomo and many other objects in Florence. So, having finished the Crucifixion, Donatello wanted to know his friend Filippo’s opinion about this work.

Brunelleschi was generally not in the habit of praising the work of others, and in this he seemed to make no difference between friends and enemies. Therefore, he honestly told Donatello that what he got was not Jesus, but “some peasant” on the cross. The master, of course, was offended and invited Brunelleschi to “show his class” - to make his own crucifix. He agreed, although this was, in general, not his specialization. Well, then, when Donatello saw the result of the work of his friend Filippo, he was deeply shocked and admitted defeat. Whether his own Crucifixion was so bad, judge for yourself.

And if you want to see Brunelleschi’s work, go to, it is exhibited there.

Main altar of the Basilica of Santa Croce

Now we approach the main altar of the basilica (13). It attracts the eye from afar, but up close it makes an absolutely fantastic impression.

The walls of the altar were painted by Agnolo Gaddi at the end of the 14th century. Here are plots on the topic of finding the Cross of the Lord, the details of which are taken from a collection of Christian legends popular in the Middle Ages. Once upon a time, a branch from the tree of knowledge was planted on Adam’s grave. From it grew a new tree, which was used to make the very cross on which Jesus was crucified. On the right, pay attention to the fresco “Saint Helen finds three crosses and the Cross of the Lord heals the dying woman.”

It’s interesting to look at the details here: a monk is fishing from a bridge, a dog is barking at a lumberjack, for some reason a lion is sitting in the corner. Perhaps all these details symbolize something or the artist creates the desired “mythical” flavor in such an interesting way, I don’t know.

On the left wall there is a continuation of the legend: St. Helen brings the Cross to, but then the city is captured by the Persian king Khosrov and steals the relic. Note the Persian headdresses in the shape of wolf heads.

In the end, everything ended well: Khosrow was beheaded and the Cross was returned to.

As was customary in those years, on some frescoes the artist depicted himself and other people of his time. By the way, the stained glass windows in the windows behind the altar with images of various saints are also by Agnolo Gaddi.

Bardi and Peruzzi Chapels

We move to the right of the altar. The first on our way will be the Bardi Chapel (14). It was in it and in the neighboring Peruzzi Chapel (15) that restorers were able to find ancient frescoes by Giotto. They were painted over with chalk in the 18th century, apparently considering them too old and not of artistic value. But these frescoes of the 20s of the 14th century were once admired and inspired by the future geniuses of the Renaissance Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci!

Giotto's frescoes were cleared of later layers only in the middle of the 19th century. In the Bardi Chapel you can see restored images of scenes from the life of St. Francis. These frescoes are considered one of the best in Giotto's work. Above, for example, “Trial by Fire.” And below is “The Death of St. Francis."

In the Peruzzi Chapel, the images are less well preserved (or the hands of restorers have not yet reached them). There are also scenes from the lives of saints, this time John the Evangelist and John the Baptist. In the photo below “Death and Ascension of St. John the Baptist."

The neighboring chapels are not so popular among tourists: plans and guidebooks usually say nothing about them. But even here you can find a lot of interesting things. In the Velluti Chapel, my attention was drawn to the image of the battle between the Archangel Michael and the dragon. Take a look, don’t you find anything strange here?

In my opinion, the artist Jacopo del Casentino (a student of Giotto) imagined a multi-headed monster in a very unique way. In theory, a large number of heads should complicate the life of the dragon’s opponents, but in the fresco their function is completely unclear, except to spur the main head with bites.

Chapels of Castellani and Baroncelli

The Castellani Chapel (16) was painted by Agnolo Gaddi, already familiar to us, and the Baroncelli Chapel (17) by his father Taddeo Gaddi. The first presents a variety of religious subjects.

Here is the “Vision of St. John on Patmos."

What especially attracts attention here is the dragon who is about to eat the baby savior, and the baby himself is very strange-looking.

Here is the fresco “The Massacre of St. Anthony by demons."

In general, many of the scenes in the Castellani Chapel are related to violence. Here is poor St. Apollonia, whose torturers knocked out all her teeth (she is now the patroness of dentists), and not far away someone is being run over with a cart.

The painting of the Baroncelli Chapel was completed in the 1330s. It is believed that the fresco “The Presentation of the Virgin Mary into the Temple” is one of the first medieval works with the creation of perspective.

Nearby is another interesting work - “The Betrothal of Mary”.

In Joseph's hand was a blossomed almond staff, from which a dove flew out (which was a sign of his chosenness). And not far away, the rejected groom breaks his own staff out of anger.

Also in the Baroncelli Chapel there is a beautiful altar, probably by Giotto.

Medici Chapel

To the left of the Baroncelli Chapel there is an exit to the corridor (18), which leads to the Medici Chapel (19). This chapel was added to the basilica by 1445, commissioned by Cosimo the Elder, by the architect Michelozzo. But don’t rush, there is also something to see in the corridor itself. For example, the painting by Neri di Bicci from 1461 “The Holy Trinity surrounded by Saints Benedict, Francis, Bartholomew and John the Baptist.”

The Medici Chapel in Santa Croce is architecturally modest. But on the side walls we see large-scale paintings by Renaissance artists: “The Descent from the Cross” by Allori and “The Descent of Christ into Limbo” by Bronzino.

The last picture is especially interesting. Limbo is a purely Catholic concept; it denoted the place of residence of souls who did not deserve to be in heaven, but also did not deserve hell and purgatory. Limbo should contain the souls of unbaptized infants and worthy people (including virtuous pagans) who died before the coming of Christ. There are babies in Bronzino’s painting, everything is clear with them, but it is quite difficult to identify other people, including the half-naked ladies on the canvas. Probably, there are some ancient philosophers of Ancient Greece and Rome, whom the Catholic Church greatly revered and worried about their fate. The strange devils at the top (you also see one of them with female breasts growing out of nowhere?) apparently symbolize the fact that, according to Dante, Limbo was still considered the first circle of hell. Well, the Catholic Church eventually abandoned the concept of Limbo, more recently, in 2007.

The central altar of the Medici Chapel is decorated with a terracotta sculptural composition by Andrea della Robbia “Madonna and Child, Angels and Saints.”

And on the side of the altar there is a small niche in which Galileo was originally buried.

Sacristy and Well Room

The side door at the entrance to the corridor in front of the Medici Chapel leads to the Sacristy (“Sacristy” in Italian) (20). This spacious 14th-century hall was once used for preparations for services and for monastic meetings. The central wall of the Sacristy is decorated with works by Giotto's students: Gaddi, Aretino and Djereni. These frescoes depict gospel stories about the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ.

Near the opposite wall hangs the Crucifixion by Cimabue; its story is truly tragic.

During the flood of 1966, a significant part of the image was washed away from the cross. Moreover, after the end of the disaster, many pieces were found in the basilica, and the Crucifix could be almost completely restored. The museum workers went out to have a snack, leaving the found fragments to dry, and at that time the cleaners arrived at the cathedral. In accordance with the instructions, they began to wash away the dirt from the premises of the temple with strong jets of water, not paying attention to the unpresentable scraps lying on the board. Alas, with this water the fragments of Cimabue’s Crucifixion flowed away forever.

The grief of museum workers and art historians can be understood - Cimabue was one of the main forefathers of the Renaissance, who worked back in the 13th century (he died in 1302). It is believed that Giotto studied with him; by the way, both masters are mentioned in Dante’s Divine Comedy:

Cimabue's brush was famous alone,

And now Giotto is celebrated without flattery,

And the painting is darkened.

In the Sacristy you can also find such relics as the cassock and belt of St. Francis himself - they are carefully kept behind glass.

Nearby is the Rinuccini Chapel (21), but it is usually closed to visitors, and viewing the interior through the iron grille is not very convenient. The chapel is decorated with frescoes by Giovanni di Milano.

Through the southern door we go into a small room called the Room with a Well (22). Until the 15th century, there really was a well here: a niche in the wall still reminds of it.

It now houses a museum shop and displays of photographs, mostly on the theme of the 1966 flood.

Orange courtyard. Bell tower of Santa Croce

Behind the store there is a glazed loggia from which you can go down into a cozy green courtyard (23).

I call it Orange tentatively (I just remember the orange tree here), it is not marked in any way on the museum plan, and in general, it is not always clear to tourists whether it is possible to go down here, and whether this is the exit from the museum?

In fact, this place is one of the entrances to the museum. I don’t know what groups of visitors are allowed here, but when, after a walk, we returned back to the loggia, our tickets were checked again. This walk came in very handy for me: fatigue was already making itself felt, and I needed a little rest from the masterpieces. I think you will also enjoy walking in the fresh air.

You can also safely exit through the door at the opposite end of the yard. Let's go around the corner of the cathedral and approach the bell tower of Santa Croce (24).

True, you can’t go up, but that’s okay: there are many other excellent viewing platforms in Florence. This bell tower, 78 meters high, was erected relatively recently: Gaetano Baccani completed its construction in 1865. On the scale of the Basilica of Santa Croce, 150 years, of course, is not old.

Well, now we return to the cathedral, go inside through the store and corridor, passing the Castellani Chapel, turn left. Near the monument to Leonardo Bruni we find a door (25) leading outside, and we go down into the courtyard (cloister) of the cathedral (26).

The first cloister. Pazzi Chapel

The first cloister is a long alley, limited along the perimeter by covered galleries.

On either side of the central path there is a green lawn, and on the south side among the trees there is a sculpture by Baccio Bandinelli “God the Father” (27).

You will still have time to go around the cloister, but now I suggest you go into the building, the facade of which resembles a triumphal arch in its design.

This is the famous Pazzi Chapel (28) - one of the recognized architectural masterpieces of the Renaissance. The Pazzi bankers were one of the richest and most influential families in Florence. They decided to make their family chapel in Santa Croce a separate building; this was definitely a challenge. The Pazzi competed with the Medici and hoped to eventually get rid of their competitors and take a dominant position in Florence. Ultimately, everything led to the famous Pazzi conspiracy of 1478, when they, together with their supporters, tried to stage a coup. The conspirators managed to kill Lorenzo the Magnificent's brother, but he himself escaped, and this predetermined the outcome of events. The people supported the Medici, and the Pazzi family was slaughtered almost completely. Their property, naturally, was confiscated, and even the family coat of arms was forever banned. But the Pazzi Chapel in the Basilica of Santa Croce remained: it aroused such admiration among contemporaries that they did not dare touch it.

The chapel was built by Brunelleschi, the work took almost 20 years and was completed by 1460. They say that during the construction of the Pazzi Chapel, the master tested the technique of constructing a dome, which he later brilliantly implemented in the Duomo. Everyone notes the ideal proportions and simplicity of lines in the interior design of the chapel: the dome framed by the side vaults looks extremely beautiful.

At the top there is a picture of the night sky with the signs of the zodiac. Decorative elements of the chapel's interior (for example, terracotta medallions depicting the apostles) are mainly by Luca and Andrea della Robbia. But the four medallions with the evangelists around the dome were created by Brunelleschi himself.

The Pazzi Chapel has rows of chairs, so that its interiors can be viewed from a comfortable position on one of them.

Museum of Santa Croce

The Santa Croce Museum (29) is located in a building on the south side of the first cloister. Before heading inside, go to the second cloister of the cathedral (30).

It was designed by Bernardo Rossellino and has a very traditional appearance for a medieval monastery. Well, now to the museum. It is quite small; viewing the exhibition will hardly take you more than half an hour. In the first rooms, pay attention to the marble tombstone of the former Archbishop of Milan, Cassono della Torre.

His life, apparently, was stormy: political squabbles, conspiracies, expulsions - everything was as it should be in medieval Italy. Cassono died in Florence, falling from a horse, and was buried in Santa Croce. The 1319 tombstone was originally located inside the cathedral.

The museum displays sculptures and small frescoes by famous masters such as Giotto.

In the room next to it is another Crucifixion (we saw a lot of them today), this time by Lippo di Benivieni, who worked at the beginning of the 14th century.

By the way, among the exhibited stained glass windows there are also the oldest examples created by Giotto to decorate the basilica in the period from 1305 to 1310.

The last room of the museum is the former monastery refectory (31), on the wall of which we see some of the most famous and large-scale frescoes of Santa Croce: “The Tree of Life” and “The Last Supper” by Taddeo Gaddi from 1333.

Here are also a few remains of frescoes (“Triumph of Death”, “Inferno”) by Andrea Orcagna, another master who had a hand in creating the original interiors of Santa Croce.

Well, don't miss the statue of Louis of Toulouse, created by Donatello around 1443.

For a long time it was located in another Florentine church, Orsanmichele, then it decorated the gray facade of Santa Croce, and after the construction of the current Louis façade, it was moved inside the cathedral.

Keep in mind that in October 2016, when I was last here, the refectory was undergoing restoration work and visitors were not allowed inside. The Last Supper, however, could be admired from afar.

Well, our acquaintance with the Basilica of Santa Croce can be considered successful. We move to exit (32) and find ourselves in Piazza Santa Croce.

How to get there

The Basilica of Santa Croce (1) and the square of the same name (2) are located almost in the center of Florence, easily accessible on foot. You can also get there by bus, for example, on route C3, stop Magliabechi.

Piazza Santa Croce has hardly changed since the 14th century: Lorenzo the Magnificent held his tournaments here. Pay attention to the curves of the houses on via Torta (3) - they repeat the shape of the amphitheater that was located on this site in ancient times.

From Santa Croce it is a stone's throw to Piazza della Signoria (4) with its many attractions and the Uffizi Gallery (5). And if you wish, you can, on the contrary, go a little further away from the center and see, for example, the Vasari Fish Loggia (6), which adorned the Florentine market of the 16th century.

And not far from here is the modern market of Sant'Ambrogio (7), where (unlike the central markets) not only tourists, but also the residents of Florence themselves shop.

Anything to add?

I repeat: Florence is a never-sleeping city. It seems that there are always people sitting on the steps of the Church of Santa Croce. On my first short visit to Florence, I wandered around the narrow streets of Florence like a stoned person, not really knowing which way to go, and stumbled out to the church around midnight. The area in front of the entrance was not exactly packed, but not empty either.

Near the entrance to the church there is a huge statue of some old woman with a menacing, inhospitable face. Honestly, for a long time I thought that this was a woman and a statue on a patriotic theme, such as protecting one’s hometown from hordes of enemies. Well, this is clearly a woman, right? Not true. This is Dante Alighieri.

Great Piazza Santa Croce. At night it is popular with skateboarders. I can imagine how they irritate residents with the noise of their videos.

If you turn around from the church in the opposite direction, opposite will be the main library of Florence. It is clear that the place is not empty.

Well, let's start, as usual, with the boring stuff? The Basilica of Santa Croce (Holy Cross) is the main spiritual center of Florence, a place that is definitely necessary to visit. The largest Franciscan church in the world, founded in 1294 on the site of an already existing church, which was founded by Francis of Assisi himself, Santa Croce was built on many times, but never radically rebuilt. The basilica includes 16 chapels. Translated into Russian, “kapella” means “chapel”. Only here the chapels, unlike Russian chapels, do not stand alone. They are created using partitions inside the church or attached outside. The chapels were commissioned by wealthy families for their needs. Everything is cheaper than building a separate church, and there is more holiness. For example, one of the largest chapels in Santa Croce was the Pazzi Chapel, built by Bruneleschi. It is noteworthy that, as I wrote earlier, all the buildings associated with the Pazzi family were taken away stone by stone, but the chapel was left. Because she's beautiful.

The Star of David above the rose of the facade looks completely unexpected for a Christian church. This is her, no doubt about it. Cladding churches with multi-colored marble is not a cheap pleasure. It’s scary to imagine how much such a facade costs in modern money. Therefore, only the Duomo is entirely covered with marble, while all other churches in Florence (and other Italian cities) have marble - like a beautiful bedspread on a bed with holey linens. The marble tiles turn the corner one layer and end there, and then there is regular unpainted brick. The fashion for marble cladding of churches came in the second half of the 19th century, quite recently. Then all the churches were dressed in elegant marble. Various architects were hired for this task, and the façade of Santa Croce was built by a Jewish architect named Matas. He brought in the Star of David as a decorative element. Already amazing. But what’s even more surprising to me is that the Germans, who occupied Florence at the end of the war, did not knock off this symbol. They probably just didn't have enough time.

Inside the Church of Santa Croce is the Pantheon - the burial place of celebrities. Architect Matas really hoped that for his services he would be given the honor of being buried inside. However, alas, there was still no place for the Jew in the Christian monastery. Matas is buried outside somewhere under some porch. I don't even know if he has a sign. There's definitely one, I just didn't notice.

Massive alterations to the interior of the church took place under Duke Cosimo the First. The work was supervised by the omnipresent Vasari. It is for this project that his descendants strongly criticize him. Vasari destroyed many ancient frescoes and altars, opening up space for pompous paintings, icons, tombstones and cenotaphs. The cenotaph, it turns out, is a tombstone under which no one lies, but could lie. If I wanted it in time.

The most famous cenotaph inside Santa Croce is dedicated to Dante Alighieri. In Italy there are almost as many monuments and plaques related to Dante as there are monuments to Lenin in one large country. Respected.

Sculpture of Dante in the perimeter of the Uffizi Gallery.

As I understand it, Dante’s place in Italian culture is comparable to Pushkin’s place in Russian literature. He created the modern Italian language. Only he did it monstrously long ago, more than 700 years ago. At that time, Italy spoke 14 dialects, and Latin served as the language of communication for cultured people. Dante promoted the Italian language in defiance of all the intellectuals of that time. He believed that it was necessary to invent a new language that would, as it were, unite the nation and proposed to take this step through the means of literature. There is no need to say that the basis of modern Italian is still the Tuscan dialect: you can’t trample against nature. Although Dante honestly tried to include all dialects in his constructed Italian. (Update: There was an interesting discussion in the comments about Dante's role in history. Those interested can take a look at the very first thread).

Durante (Dante) Alighieri was born in Florence in 1265, died in Ravenna in 1321. I won’t lie: I personally have not read anything by Dante, except for very small passages. I don’t think that even in Italy everyone reads it. After all, 700 years have passed. Even in modern translation, the language is difficult to understand, and the structure of the text lacks the dynamics we are accustomed to. Not a Hollywood action movie, that's for sure. Yes, and metaphors without extensive comments do not tell us anything. It was much more interesting for me to read stories about Dante. He was, as they would say now, a very passionate person. He had more than enough adventures in his life, including political struggle, participation in a small civil war on the side of the losing party, a court verdict, escape, a second sentence - this time to execution - and exile, which has not ended yet. And also Beatrice, the poet’s fictitious muse, flaunted by him in poetry. Legend has it that Beatrice met with Dante only twice, and the first and decisive time occurred when Dante was 9 years old and Beatrice 8. If this fact is certainly reliable, then the young people who lived in a very small city, haven’t met each other for decades, it’s hard to believe. Although, although... the devil knows. No, well, at the age of nine, falling in love for life is too cool even for a poet. Most likely, Beatrice was a kind of symbol for Dante, invented by a phantom. She died at 24 from some illness. Legends have been created about their strange platonic romance, apparently and invisibly.

Here you are. A picture about the second and last meeting of Dante and Beatrice. A little-known and almost contemporary author composed this; his name means nothing to me. But it’s drawn well, you’ll agree. (Reproduction stolen from Wikipedia)

Biche (Beatrice) Portinari was born, accordingly, in 1266 into a wealthy family. This family even had its own church.

This facade seemed so uninteresting to me that I didn’t even point the camera at it. Moreover, it is inconvenient there: a narrow old street with tall houses, little light and little space. The photo was found on Wikipedia. It shows the inconspicuous door of the Church of St. Margaret, the personal church of the Portinari family. The date of foundation of the Church of St. Margaret is 1076, that is, in 1276 the building entered its third century. I can't wrap my head around such time shifts. God knows what this is.

Yes, so Beatrice was a girl like a girl, she got married, died at a young age, and no one would have known anything about her if not for a secret admirer who accidentally turned out to be great. Despite the fact that she herself hardly suspected this admirer.

My personal Beatrice stands in the empty Church of St. Margaret. Along the walls are exhibits of an exhibition of children's drawings. Eh, Anka annaanton , bad luck to you. You have many admirers, I even know some, but not a single one will last for everlasting memory. You won’t get it from me, and even more so from others, it’s even offensive.

The slabs in the floor are the tombstones of the Portinari family. There is also a Beatrice stone. She, as I understand it, is buried at the far wall near the altar.

Also from Wikipedia frame. I somehow didn’t notice this stone myself.

But Dante was married, moreover, from the age of 12. But this is not because he was a sexual giant, it’s just that back then such early arranged marriages between families were the norm. By the way, Beatrice was formally married from the age of 11. Once both “spouses” reached adulthood, such marriages changed from formal to actual. And no romances under the moon for you. Dante was not friends with his wife, although he had four children with her. When the poet escaped from arrest, he abandoned his family in Florence and never met with them again. All his property was confiscated, and in the archives of Florence the originals of Gemma Donati's (Alighieri) petitions for the return of at least the property that was her dowry were preserved. Just like that, the great one is great, but he left the poor woman without a livelihood. So what to do? You can't sit in jail.

After Dante's death in a foreign land, the Florentines came to their senses and began to demand the bones of their fellow countryman back in order to honor their national treasure. But here the Equals said no, there was no point in chasing a national treasure all over Italy and issuing death sentences to him during his lifetime. However, Florence had its arguments in the form of brute force. One day, the demand to return Dante to his homeland was expressed in such a way that the Equals were forced to obey. Then the unknown patriots of Ravenna did not allow injustice to happen. When the grave was dug up, it turned out to be empty. Dante's coffin was stolen and hidden. After many centuries it was found and buried back. During the inquiry, ashes spilled out of the coffin and were sealed in six envelopes. Then the envelopes disappeared. And quite recently one was found (I think) in a Florentine library.

Things are not going well for these greats, thank God.

That is why the poet looks gloomily from the steps of Santa Croce at the noisy crowd at his pedestal. What's the use of your greatness if bones and dust have been dragged from place to place for centuries.

And this Dante’s lions are kind of gloomy. Oh well, they are still stone. Let's go back to Santa Croce.

Here is the main hall, rebuilt by Vasari. Cenotaphs, bas-reliefs and simply relief gravestones in the floor. A lot of famous people were born in this Florence. By the way, somewhere on the wall there is a memorial plaque dedicated to Enrico Fermi (creator of the atomic bomb, discoverer of a controlled chain reaction). He worked at a local university for two seasons. And here is a tombstone for someone older:

Scientist, peer of Galileo,
Galileo was no more stupid.
He knew that the earth was spinning
but he had a family.

The poet Yevtushenko wrote brilliant lines! Galileo did not have a family, but he had children. He recognized them, raised them and cared for them, but for some reason he never officially married their mother. In Santa Croce he is buried with his eldest daughter. The life of Galileo, especially his misadventures with the Inquisition, conveys the character of the times better than any historical chronicle. He was a fighter, and he fought desperately for his views. From the school course, Galileo looks almost like an apostate, like Giodano Bruno went to the stake, but this one renounced. However, a detailed study of the issue shows that everything was not so simple, and Galileo's case itself arose due to the fact that he was constantly actively seeking a revision of the prevailing theological doctrine of his time. Galileo had powerful patrons, primarily the Duke of Tuscany, for whom Galileo worked as a home teacher, but even patronage of this level did not save him from arrest and torture. However, Galileo did not spend long in prison. He was released to his villa near Florence, and for the last 9 years of his life, Galileo, like Sakharov, lived under very strict house arrest. There were always spies in the villa, watching his every move. Only towards the end the regime of his arrest began to gradually soften, and several times Galileo was allowed to go to Florence to see doctors. After Galileo died, a new conflict arose. The Duke wanted to bury him in Santa Croce with maximum honors and an appropriate memorial, but the Pope was categorically against it. After long diplomatic negotiations in Santa Croce, they allocated a special, inconspicuous room where his ashes were placed. Galileo was solemnly reburied in the main transept in 1737. And the church lifted its spell only in 1992. But now they are erecting a monument to Galileo right in the Vatican. Victory.

And again a photo from Wikipedia. Galileo in the perimeter of the Uffizi Gallery.

Another interesting statue from the Pantheon of Santa Croce. Tombstone and monument to the poet Niccolini. This is practically our contemporary; he died in 1861. She was a very freedom-loving person, a tribune, an orator, and a prominent public politician. Do you notice anything unusual about the statue?

"Turns out he's also a Baskerville." Yes, this is practically the Statue of Liberty, only a little more feminine. I wrote about the history of the creation of the Statue of Liberty in. And he also mentioned that there is another statue in Florence. The story is murky. Nobody can say anything. It is clear that two sculptors, who also knew each other, cannot think of the same thing at the same time. But there is no evidence of who borrowed what from whom. The Statue of Liberty appeared in its finished form in 1886, and even during construction the sculptor protected it with a patent. The Florentine monument dates from 1872, and sketches of it circulated quite widely. So it looks like this is a prototype. On the other hand, the Statue of Liberty was originally intended to be the entrance to the Suez Canal, and that version appeared in 1867, that is, five years earlier. In short, “someone says plagiarism, but I think it’s borrowing.” Let's move on, let these authors sort it out among themselves without us.

Machiavelli's grave. I especially like the inscription: TANTO NOMINI NULLUM PAR ELOGIUM (There is no epitaph worthy of such a great man). Correct inscription, by the way. I have a lot of respect for this person.

Michelangelo Buonarroti's grave. Design by Giorgio Vasari.

Rossini and Marconi (the inventor of radio), as well as many people less known to us, but no less worthy, are also buried in this church. You are literally walking through a cemetery.

I don’t have the slightest idea who lies under these slabs.

Now let's look at the paintings on the walls and altars of the church. They are worthy of amazement. The best masters of Florence, starting with Giotto, worked on these masterpieces.

The question of the appropriateness of rebuilding the church under the leadership of Vasari is open. I don't believe that Vasari could have seriously ruined anything. On the contrary, he cleared the way for better works. On the other hand, he was a fashionable artist, as they would say now, glamorous. Despite the fact that I personally do not doubt the taste of such a talented master, it was his personal taste, personal ideas about beauty and expediency. Well, let's assume that the new version, which is only a little over 400 years old (kopecks), is most likely no worse than the previous one.

Let's just take a quick look around, without going into details.

The Church of Santa Croce is famous not only because it is recognized as the largest Franciscan church in the world. It enjoys special attention and popularity among tourists due to the incredible beauty of the interiors created by famous artists of the past. And also as a funerary monument from the Renaissance. It is here that the greatest representatives of the human race rest in sarcophagi under marble slabs.

Church of the Holy Cross

This is exactly how Basilica di Santa Croce is translated. The choice of name is simple - the shape of this structure resembles a cross. This Catholic shrine owes its appearance to Francis of Assisi himself. According to legend, the church was erected on the site of a modest chapel, built by the revered saint with his own hands. Knowing about his worldview, one can easily guess that the adherents created a structure hundreds of times greater in beauty and richness than the prototype.

Saint Francis is famous for raising poverty and asceticism into a bright, even joyful ideal. Consciously renouncing material wealth, he exchanged security and comfort for the path of a missionary, bringing people the ideas of repentance, peace and brotherhood. Following the example of Christ, he saw his destiny in compassion and service to people.

In 1228, 2 years after his death, Francis of Assisi was canonized. In 1294, on the site of a modest chapel, in a small square, construction began on a magnificent temple. The famous architect Arnolfo di Cambio is considered his “father”. At that time, he was capomaestro - the head of the construction of the largest projects in Florence, in particular the Cathedral.

The Santa Croce project anticipated the architectural achievements of the Renaissance. Its strict, and at the same time plastic, expressive forms are literally pleasing to the eye. Harmony is what fascinates even at the first glance at this beautiful building. Although the main façade of the church was fully decorated only in the 19th century. At the same time, a bell tower 80 meters high was built.

The interior decoration was subject to constant changes. There were also very sad changes. For example, in the 16th century, the magnificent frescoes on the walls were simply whitewashed: the fact is that then the plague was raging in Florence, and church premises were used as hospitals. Imagine the amazement and joy of the restorers who discovered Giotto’s famous frescoes under layers of lime!

The most famous wealthy family clans of Florence took part in financing the construction project: a mark in history that deserves respect.

Interior decoration

The Church of Santa Croce is an example of the Gothic style. The internal structure is 3 luxurious naves, separated by powerful columns. In turn, the colonnade is decorated with connecting arches. And all this is decorated with magnificent architectural elements. Such as archivolts - spectacular design of arched arches; lyzenes - flat projections on the walls; pilasters are graceful half-columns.

The length of the main nave is 115 meters. Pointed arches freely transmit light through the stained glass windows, which enhances the feeling of spaciousness and grandeur. The high altar is crowned with the famous Cimabue crucifix. After the ruthless flood of 1966, it is considered a symbol of the rebirth of the damaged Florence. The altar is also decorated with a unique polyptych of the Madonna and Saints. In the sacristy of the temple, the frescoes “Ascension”, “Resurrection”, “Crucifixion”, “Ascension to Golgotha” are stunning.

In Florence they honor Saint Francis. His images and sculptural biographies can be found in many basilicas of the city. But it is in Santa Croce that the most beautiful bas-relief is located, which depicts scenes from the life of the great saint.

The famous Florentine families Baroncelli, Peruzzi, Alberti and others left their historical mark in the design of the 16 chapels of the Church of the Holy Cross. Decoration with frescoes and sculptures became possible thanks to their noble participation.

The wealthy merchant Andrea Pazzi also remained in the memory of posterity. Thanks to him, a unique Pazzi Chapel appeared on the territory of the cathedral. In 1423, the inner area of ​​the basilica was damaged by fire. Subsequently, the Pazzi Chapel, unsurpassed in style and space, was built on this territory. Traditional arches, columns, and pilasters are used in the decoration of the chapel so masterfully that they create a feeling of absolute naturalness.

The exclusivity of the cathedral lies in the fact that it is a kind of tomb for many great people. Here, under the marble slabs, there are the ashes of Michelangelo, and next to it is a monument consisting of allegorical figures of Architecture, Painting, Sculpture.

Mournful figures decorate the monument at the sarcophagus of Galileo Galilei. The sculptural groups at the burial places of Nicolo Machiavelli and Gioachino Rossini are not inferior in sad monumentality. Involuntary awe covers everyone who is next to these majestic sarcophagi.

The main landmark of Florence

Piazza Santa Croce is located right in the heart of Florence. Just as all roads in Italy lead to Rome, all roads in Florence lead to the famous square. From time immemorial, the lively life of the city has taken place here. In the old days there were fairs and tournaments. Now there are costume performances that the residents are so proud of. In Piazza Santa Croce, in accordance with the trends of the times, tourists can visit many restaurants, cafes, night clubs, and discos. The paving stones and ancient buildings located along the perimeter give the square an unusual flavor. But the most extraordinary sight that opens up to those who come to the square is the stunning beauty of the Basilica of Santa Croce with its Pazzi Chapel and the richest interior decoration.

The Basilica of Santa Croce (Church of the Holy Crucifixion) was built at the end of the 13th century in the Florentine Gothic style. The church is known as the Pantheon of Florence, as the tombs of many prominent Italians are located here. The Basilica of Santa Croce was built along with the Duomo and Santa Maria Novella as the three main churches of the city of Florence. All three similar marble facades are designed in a typical Florentine style.

Construction of the church began in 1295 on a site next to the Arno River, where the Franciscans built a small oratory. According to Vasari, the basilica was designed by Arnolfo di Cambio, a Florentine sculptor and architect who also worked on the Duomo and the old palace. The Basilica of Santa Croce was consecrated in 1443 by Pope Eugene IV.


In 1512, the bell tower of the basilica was destroyed by lightning, and was restored only in 1847 according to a new neo-Gothic design by Gaetano Baccani. The marble façade was added even later, between 1853 and 1863. Funds for construction were provided by wealthy British philanthropist Francis Joseph Sloane.


Santa Croce is distinguished by a wide nave supported by directed arches. Immediately upon entering, the visitor's attention is concentrated on the Chapel of the High Altar at the end of the nave. It is decorated with frescoes by Anlo Gaddi depicting the history of the True Cross of the Lord. Light flows harmoniously into the room through mosaic windows, which were also designed by Agnolo Gaddi. It is one of Italy's most outstanding architectural landmarks.


On the right side are the Bardi and Peruzzo Chapels, decorated with frescoes by Giotto. The frescoes on the walls of the Bardi Chapel depict scenes from the life of St. Francis, while the Peruzzi Chapel is decorated with the lives of St. John the Baptist and St. John the Apostle. The frescoes were redrawn in the 18th century, but carefully restored to the original in 1959.


In the north transept is another Bardi Chapel, which houses Donatello's wooden crucifix. His friend Brunelleschi decided to demonstrate his skills and surpass Brunelleschi by creating his own version of the crucifix, which is now kept in Santa Maria di Novella. However, Donatello's work, created in 1425, looks more realistic and vibrant.


The Cimabue Crucifixion is considered even more famous. He created a large painting, placing it on a wooden crucifix measuring 4.48 by 3.9 meters. His work is considered one of the most realistic versions of the crucifixion. Unfortunately, it was almost completely flooded during the flood of the Arno River in 1966. Cimabue's crucifix was badly damaged and, despite restoration, is still in critical condition.


The Basilica of Santa Croce also includes three monasteries, the main one of which was designed by Arnolfo di Cambio. In the southern part there is a second, smaller monastery created by Brunelleschi. It is considered one of the most beautiful monasteries in Florence. The third and smallest monastery was built in the thirteenth century, forming the heart of the original Franciscan structure.

As mentioned above, Santa Croce contains the tombs of many famous Italians. Numerous tombstones cover the walls of the church. This basilica is considered the birthplace of the Renaissance, where the first Renaissance monument is located - the tomb of politician Leonardo Bruni, created in 1444 by Bernardo Rossellino. It became the model for many future tombs, including that of Carlo Marsuppini against the north wall.


The most famous monument of Santa Croce is the first tomb along the southern wall, belonging to Michelangelo Buonarotti. It was designed by Giorgio Vasari and contains a bust of Michelangelo and is decorated with many statues and figures. The statues were created by Giovani Battista and Valerio Cioli. Michelangelo died in 1564 in Rome, where the Tomb of the Twelve Apostles was built in his honor. However, the artist wanted to be buried in his native Florence. With the permission of the Duke of Florence, Leonardo Buonarotti stole Michelangelo's body and brought it to Florence.


Opposite Michelangelo's tomb is the tomb of Galileo Galilei, who died in 1642. But due to church anathema, it was forbidden to bury him according to Christian canons until 1737, when Galileo’s body was finally buried in Santa Croce. His tombstone was designed by Giovanni Battista Foggini, who also designed the bust of Galileo.


Other celebrities buried in Santa Croce include composer Gioachino Rossini. One of the best Italian composers became famous for his opera "The Barber of Seville". Rossini died in 1868 in Paris and was buried in the Paris Pierre-Lachaise cemetery. Nine years later, his body was exhumed and taken to the Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence.


The Italian poet Dante Alighieri is buried in his native Ravenna, but in his honor there is a cenotaph in Santa Croce, located opposite the southern wall next to Michelangelo's tomb. The cenotaph was created in 1829 by Stefano Ricchi and depicts Dante over his empty tomb, along with statues of allegorical heroes from his works.


The Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence is famous for many other tombs, including the tomb of the writer Ugo Foscolo, the historian and diplomat Nicolo Machiavelli, Vittorio Alfieri, as well as Joseph Napoleon and his daughter Charlotte.