Santa Croce Art History | Location | Opening Hours Tickets | Authorizations
Art History History | Cloisters Nave | Choir | Major Chapel | Sacristy Pulpit | Tombs | Bardi Baroncelli Chapels | Castellani Chapel | Chapels Giusti Peruzzi | Refectory | Paintings Sculptures
The Basilica of Santa Croce the Holy Cross, Florence
The Franciscans in Florence
Exterior of Santa Croce The first Franciscans arrived in Florence in 1209 and St Francis of Assisi himself came to Florence in 1211.
By a bull of Pope Gregory IX dated 14 September 1228, Gregory IX took under his protection the Conventual Friars Minor who were then officiating in the church of Santa Croce in Florence.
The construction of a new church
As the new protective enclosure of Florence now encompassed the entire Santa Croce district, it was decided to build a new, even larger church.
Nave of the basilica of Santa Croce The project was entrusted to Arnolfo di Cambio and the first stone was laid on 3 May 1294, on the feast of the Holy Cross.
The construction of the central and side naves was completed in 1385.
But it was only in 1443, on 6 January, that the Church of the Holy Cross was consecrated by Pope Eugene IV.
The finishing work on the church ceased in 1504 due to a lack of sufficient funding. As a result, the façade of the Church of Santa Croce was never completed.
Hazards and restructuring of Santa Croce in the 16th century
Choir of the Basilica of Santa Croce The beginning of the 16th century was also a tragic one for the church and the Franciscans of Santa Croce.
In 1512, a major storm caused the Bell Tower to collapse, causing extensive damage to the roof.
In 1529, during enemy military incursions into Florence, the soldiers violated the walls of the church of Santa Croce and plundered almost all of the Franciscans' liturgical treasures, which was equally serious.
Finally, in 1557, a serious flood of the Arno River destroyed the archives.
The greatest Florentine artists of the time put their talents at the service of the church of Santa Croce: Taddeo Gaddi, Agnolo Gaddi, Giotto di Bondone, Giovanni da Milano, Filippo Brunelleschi, followed by Donatello, Benedetto da Maiano, Lucca Della Robbia and Vasari.
Giorgio Vasari's involvement was largely linked to the Counter-Reformation climate.
Frescos by Taddeo Gaddi It was with this in mind that Grand Duke Cosimo I de' Medici asked Giorgio Vasari to restructure the church's architecture.
The consequences of the restructuring work were far-reaching, as, among other things, the ancient choir of the church's central nave and the rood screen were destroyed, along with numerous 14th-century works of art.
It was also under Vasari's impetus that monumental tombs were created, including that of Michelangelo.
The Franciscans under pressure in the 19th century
Choir and chapels of Santa Croce Following the decisions of Napoleon Bonaparte, the Franciscans had to leave the church in 1810 and were only able to return four years later.
But the misfortunes of the Franciscan community did not end there, as in 1868 the new Italian government once again forced the Franciscans to leave Santa Croce by confiscating their property, which was sold or dispersed, including numerous codes, books and manuscripts from the Santa Croce library.
The Franciscan tradition, with the relaxation of anti-religious laws, began to revive in Florence at the beginning of the 20th century.
New Façade and New Bell Tower
Donatello Saint Louis A new Bell Tower was built in 1842 to Gaetano Baccani's plans to replace the original Bell Tower that had collapsed in 1512.
The façade, which had never been completed since 1504, was finally built in a neo-Gothic style by Niccolo Matas between 1857 and 1863. This is the facade that you can admire today.
The Church of Santa Croce becomes a basilica
In 1933, Pope Pius XI decided to elevate the Church of the Holy Cross in Florence to the status of basilica.The largest Franciscan church in the world
The dimensions of the Basilica of Santa Croce are particularly impressive: 115.43m long by 38.23m wide, with a transept of 73.74m.By comparison, Notre Dame de Paris is 130 metres long.
Bronzino Descent Limbo Santa Croce is still the largest Franciscan church in the world.
Its T-shaped floor plan, the harmony of its volumes and its Florentine Gothic style make it one of the most beautiful churches in Italy.
Frescoes, Chapels, Sacristy, Cloisters and Refectory
The chapels, each more beautiful than the last, covered with absolutely superb frescoes, occupy most of the transept, on either side of the magnificent choir of the church.Frescoes by Giotto, Taddeo Gaddi, Agnolo Gaddi and Giovanni da Milano.
Choir altar of Santa Croce All this, together with statues, triptychs, altars, stained glass windows and other equally beautiful works of art, make this church one of the most beautiful museums in Florence for those who love religious art.
You can also admire the very moving Sacristy, as well as the two large cloisters.
The architecture of the Pazzi Chapel, designed by Brunelleschi, the architect of the dome of the Duomo, also merits attention. Finally, the old Refectory is impressive, with frescoes by Taddeo Gaddi covering the entire back wall with the Last Supper, the Tree of Life and other religious scenes, as is the statue by Donatello and the Last Supper by Giorgio Vasari.
Art History History | Cloisters Nave | Choir | Major Chapel | Sacristy Pulpit | Tombs | Bardi Baroncelli Chapels | Castellani Chapel | Chapels Giusti Peruzzi | Refectory | Paintings Sculptures
Santa Croce Art History | Location | Opening Hours Tickets | Authorizations
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