Basilica of Santa Croce

The Basilica of Santa Croce that rises up on the square of the same name is one of the most ancient Franciscan basilicas and one of the greatest examples of Gothic architecture in Italy.
Erected in 1294, according to a plan of great architect Arnolfo di Cambio, the basilica was finished approximately 90 years later, but it was consecrated only many years after, in 1444.
The architectural features of the Basilica were enriched in later centuries, successfully accommodating numerous monumental tombs of supreme artists, men of letters and scientists.
The Cappella dei Medici beyond the graves of illustrious men, which Ugo Foscolo, Michelangelo Buonarroti (planned from the Vasari), Galileo Galilei, Gioacchino Rossini, Leon Battisia Alberti, Niccolò Machiavelli are found in fact. Here are also found illustrious works by Giotto, Cimabue, Donatello, Vasari, Andrea della Robbia, Filippo Brunelleschi and Bronzino.

On the right side of the Basilica is the Cloister, the fourteenth-century refectory, housing the famous Crucefix by Cimabue, one of the most important works of art ever. Inside the Cloister the Pazzi family, aristocratic and very powerful, built their Cappella designed by Filippo Brunelleschi.