Florence's Basilica Di Santa Croce

The Basilica di Santa Croce, or Basilica of the Holy Cross, is the main Franciscan church in Florence, though a minor basilica.

Located on the Piazza di Santa Croce, it is famous for being the burial place of many famous Italians, including Michelangelo Buonarroti, Galileo Galilei, Machiavelli, Gentile, Foscolo, Marconi and Rossini. Because of this, it's also called the Temple of the Italian Glories.

The world's largest Franciscan church, the Basilica features sixteen chapels, many decorated with frescoes painted by Giotto and his students. Legend has it that the church was actually founded by St. Francis himself, but the current church wasn't constructed until 1294. It replaced an older building and was paid for by some of the most wealthy families in the city.

Consecrated in 1442, this building is relatively austere when compared to the ones around it, due to the beliefs of the Franciscans. The floorplan is based on the Tau or Egyptian cross, which is a symbol of St. Francis.

The cross is a hundred fifteen meters long and features a nave and two aisles, separated by octagonal columns laid out in lines. At one point, a convent was located to the south of the church, but it is now gone. However, some of its buildings are still in place.

In the main cloister is the chapter house, which was completed in the 1470s and is simple and unadorned. It is said that Filippo Brunellesci was involved in its creation. Originally, the church featured a choir screen as well, but it was removed as part of the Counter Reformation.

The interior was rebuilt at this time by Giorgio Vasari, but much of the decoration of the church was damaged in the process. Altars that had been located on the choir screen were lost due to this renovation.

The campanile is relatively modern, built in 1842 to replace an earlier one which had been damaged by lightning, and the marble facade in Neo-Gothic style is from the middle of the nineteenth century as well. Interestingly, it was designed by a Jewish architect, and has a prominent Star of David as part of the composition. Matas, the architect, had wanted to be buried in the church with other great artists and architects of Italy, but his religion caused the church to bury him under the porch, not withing the church walls.

The complex became public property in 1866 as part of a campaign by the government to suppress religious houses after the wars of Italian unity and independence. Currently, it houses the Museo dell'Opera di Santa Croce in the refectory off of the cloister.

The cloister, built in 1453 by Brunelleschi, also holds a monument to Florence Nightingale, and the dormitory is home to the leather school, where artisans work on leather goods. A flood in 1966 caused oil, mud, and other pollutants to come into contact with the art treasures and buildings, and it has taken a number of decades to repair the damage to all of them.

The Santa Croce and surrounding area are a sight not to miss on a visit to Florence, as well as a great place to look for Florence apartments. Take the time to see what's in the area on your holiday to Florence - you won't be disappointed.