Basilica di Santa Croce di Firenze (Florence, Italy)
The Basilica di Santa Croce (or Basilica of the Holy Cross in English) is a minor basilica and the principal Franciscan church of Florence. It is situated on the Piazza di Santa Croce, about 875 yards (800 meters) southeast of the Duomo, on what was once marshland beyond the city walls. Being the burial place of some of the most notable Italians, such as Dante, Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli, and the composer Rossini, it is also known as the Temple of the Italian Glories (Tempio dell'Itale Glorie).
The basilica is the largest Franciscan church in the world. Its most notable features are its sixteen chapels, many of them decorated with frescoes by Giotto and his pupils, and its tombs and cenotaphs. Legend says that Santa Croce was founded by Saint Francis himself. The construction of the current church, to replace an older building, began on May 12, 1294, possibly by Arnolfo di Cambio, and paid for by some of the city's wealthiest families. It was consecrated in 1442 by Pope Eugene IV. The building's design reflects the austere approach of the Franciscans. The floorplan is an Egyptian or Tau cross (a symbol of St Francis), 377 feet (115 meters) in length with a nave and two aisles separated by lines of octagonal columns. To the south of the church was a convent, some of whose buildings remain.
In 1866, the complex became public property, as a part of government suppression of most religious houses, following the wars that gained Italian independence and unity.
Information from: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Croce,_Florence
Florence (Firenze in Italian) is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with roughly 361,000 inhabitants in 2023, and about 985,000 in its metropolitan area.
Florence was a center of medieval European trade and finance and one of the wealthiest cities of that era. It is considered by many academics to have been the birthplace of the Renaissance, becoming a major artistic, cultural, commercial, political, economic and financial center. During this time, Florence rose to a position of enormous influence in the Italian Peninsula, Europe, and beyond. Its turbulent political history includes periods of rule by the powerful Medici family and numerous religious and republican revolutions. From 1865 to 1871 the city served as the capital of the Kingdom of Italy.
The city attracts millions of tourists each year, and UNESCO declared the Historic Center of Florence a World Heritage Site in 1982. The city is noted for its culture, Renaissance art and architecture and monuments.
Information from: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence
Basilica di Santa Croce di Firenze (Florence, Italy)
The Basilica di Santa Croce (or Basilica of the Holy Cross in English) is a minor basilica and the principal Franciscan church of Florence. It is situated on the Piazza di Santa Croce, about 875 yards (800 meters) southeast of the Duomo, on what was once marshland beyond the city walls. Being the burial place of some of the most notable Italians, such as Dante, Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli, and the composer Rossini, it is also known as the Temple of the Italian Glories (Tempio dell'Itale Glorie).
The basilica is the largest Franciscan church in the world. Its most notable features are its sixteen chapels, many of them decorated with frescoes by Giotto and his pupils, and its tombs and cenotaphs. Legend says that Santa Croce was founded by Saint Francis himself. The construction of the current church, to replace an older building, began on May 12, 1294, possibly by Arnolfo di Cambio, and paid for by some of the city's wealthiest families. It was consecrated in 1442 by Pope Eugene IV. The building's design reflects the austere approach of the Franciscans. The floorplan is an Egyptian or Tau cross (a symbol of St Francis), 377 feet (115 meters) in length with a nave and two aisles separated by lines of octagonal columns. To the south of the church was a convent, some of whose buildings remain.
In 1866, the complex became public property, as a part of government suppression of most religious houses, following the wars that gained Italian independence and unity.
Information from: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Croce,_Florence
Florence (Firenze in Italian) is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with roughly 361,000 inhabitants in 2023, and about 985,000 in its metropolitan area.
Florence was a center of medieval European trade and finance and one of the wealthiest cities of that era. It is considered by many academics to have been the birthplace of the Renaissance, becoming a major artistic, cultural, commercial, political, economic and financial center. During this time, Florence rose to a position of enormous influence in the Italian Peninsula, Europe, and beyond. Its turbulent political history includes periods of rule by the powerful Medici family and numerous religious and republican revolutions. From 1865 to 1871 the city served as the capital of the Kingdom of Italy.
The city attracts millions of tourists each year, and UNESCO declared the Historic Center of Florence a World Heritage Site in 1982. The city is noted for its culture, Renaissance art and architecture and monuments.
Information from: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence