Stunning church. One of my favorites and no charge to visit…read more Located on the Via Calzaiuoli in Florence, the church was originally built as a grain market in 1337 by Francesco Talenti, Neri di Fioravante, and Benci di Cione. Between 1380 and 1404, it was converted into a church and used as the chapel. Defiantly worth visiting this place. Some great art inside and beautiful sculptures adorn the outside walls. Check their website for tickets to chamber music concerts held here.

Beautiful church, and free to enter - come on a Monday and enjoy the second and third floors, which…read morehold many original statues and have fantastic views of Firenze. They've also got concerts here at night, so check at the front to see if you're in luck and may be able to attend a performance. Walk in, and imagine yourself back in medieval Firenze... it's not hard in this space.

This Roman Catholic church was amazingly open on a weekday afternoon so we stopped in to see. And…read moresomehow, neither me nor my travel buddy burst into flames. I guess the church is broken? Basilica di Santa Trinita was founded in 1092 by a Florentine nobleman. The church is home to the Sassetti Chapel, containing 15th-century frescoes by Domenico Ghirlandaio, and the Bartolini Salimbeni Chapel, with frescoes by Lorenzo Monaco. The current church was constructed in 1258-1280 at the site of a pre-existing 11th-century church. Multiple reconstructions occurred over the centuries. The church has approximately 20 chapels, many with masterworks. The most significant are the Sassetti and the Bartolini Salimbeni chapels. Francesco Sassetti had been a manager of the Medici Bank, and some of the Ghirlandaio frescoes capture views of contemporary Florence. It is well worth your time to stop in and I hope that you also do not burst into flames. [Review 17055 overall - 246 in Italy - 571 of 2022.]

We stopped in to see Chiesa di Santa Trinita ("Holy Trinity Church") on the via de' Tornabuoni, one…read moreof the most elegant streets in Florence near the Arno River. (A few steps away stands the Santa Trinita bridge over the Arno.) It is the mother church of the Vallumbrosan Order of monks, founded in 1092 by a Florentine nobleman. The church is extremely rich in artworks, most of them displayed within its chapels. One of the most famous is the Sassetti Chapel, containing notable frescoes by Domenico Ghirlandaio. The church has been renovated numerous times. This church is often overlooked by tourists, but it should not be.

We stopped here on our buggy tour around Florence and our tour guide encouraged us to go in and…read moreright he was. What an amazing church. Every single painting is better than the previous one and the statues are outstanding. Totally not on the list of top attractions this church is an absolute must.

We were on our way to see the "Reversed Balcony" when we saw the Franciscan church of San Salvatore…read moredi Ognissanti, which was open. In Italy, no matter where you are, if you see a church go in it - you will be amazed at what you might find. This church was filled with impressive art, including a recently restored, large, hanging Crucifix in the left transept attributed to Giotto. Notable graves include Sandro Botticelli, the famous painter in the Early Renaissance, and Carolina Bonaparte Murat.

We bought an all-access Duomo pass for 10 Euros and headed straight towards the Baptistery. The…read moregolden mosaic ceiling was stunning. Dante's Satan was scary with 3 heads and eating humans. It was fun seeing the baptismal fountain that Robert and Sienna used as a water source to wipe down Dante's death mask in "Inferno" by Dan Brown. We also got to see the backside of the Gates of Paradise where they entered in. Be sure to head over to the Museo dell'Opera di Santa Maria Del Fiore to see the real thing though!

Dont miss to walk up to the tower. On the left side of the dome there are thousands of tourists…read morewaiting to use the elevator. On the right side (just go round the dome) you can walk (!) up to the tower for as far as I remember 6 EUR/person. Its a terrific view from up there.

It's currently under construction inside, and you won't be able to see a lot at this place. The…read moreceiling is supposed to be very impressive, however, I would suggest to skip this stop if you're running short on time as you'll likely have to wait in line.

The Baptistery was where Christian's were baptized before they were permitted to go into the…read morechurch. It was dedicated to Saint John the patron saint of Florence and his one of the oldest buildings from the 6th century. It is home to the glittering gold mosaics that decorate the vault and a spectacular women's gallery. Tickets are required to enter & the lines are insane. They put 8 ft fencing around most of the massive gold doors. We saw the gold doors were able to touch them in the museum.

November 9, 2024 1:30PM…read more What a beautiful church. This wasn't on our must see list while in Florence but so glad we made a pit stop here while looking for the leather school. Very short line to get in, I believe it was about 8 euros per person for a visit. We ended up spending about an hour ish browsing around. There were a lot of famous folks buried here... Right before our honeymoon we had lost my beloved kitty on the operating table for a dental procedure, she was 3.5 yo... on the same day we lost my mother in law to her battle with MS. It had been a rough couple of weeks before our trip. For some reason while sitting in this church I had an overwhelming feeling of sadness and relief at the same time. Which made this place so memorable for me. Known as the "Pantheon of Florence," it's the largest Franciscan church and serves as the burial site for famous Italians like Michelangelo, Galileo, and Machiavelli. Its history involves significant artistic decoration, including Giotto's frescoes, and later additions like the Neo-Gothic facade. Such a beautiful historic site with so much to look at. Definitely recommend to check them out if you ever visit Florence.

Located about 2,600 feet southeast of the Duomo, my partner, our friends, family members, and I…read morearrived at the Piazza di Santa Croce and the Basilica of Santa Croce (Italian for Basilica of the Holy Cross) St. Francis visited Florence at the beginning of the 13th century, and a few years later some friars of his congregation decided to stop in the city and build a church with a convent and an adjacent library. Thus was born this church. Today Santa Croce is a museum complex that brings together the Basilica, the chapels, the monastery, the bell tower, and the part dedicated exclusively to exhibitions, such as the former refectory, where we came last Tuesday. The €10 entry fee was well worth it. One has to wear appropriate outfits to gain entry. Basically, just make sure one has long shorts below the knees and arms are covered. Once inside this ornate Florentine gothic style, our attention is immediately drawn to the east end, where the tall narrow stained glass windows pierce the walls. The center nave is wide and well-lit. What is significant about Santa Croce is it became the resting place of so many great Italians, such as the great historian and writer Niccolò Machiavelli, sculptor and painter Michelangelo Buonarroti, astronomer Galileo Galilei, and composer Gioachino Rossini. There were probably more than a thousand art pieces on display here, including works of Brunelleschi, Donatello, and Giotto. One can easily spend half a day here--there is that much to see and explore!