Insider's Guide to Piazza Santo Spirito In Florence

Piazza Santo Spirito is a bohemian area of Florence named after its church. This lively area is low key and extremely local, and has an excellent produce market each morning, as well as a Sunday flea market. A huge bar is set up in the square's center during the summer time, attracting crowds to relax on the steps of the church that gives the piazza its name.

Created in the thirteenth century, the piazza was built to accommodate crowds who attended prayer ceremonies of the Augustinians. This was the common reason for creating squares in front of churches. Now, it's a place with many nightclubs, restaurants, artists' studios and craft shops, and an interesting attraction for tourists.

The square is dominated by the Basilica of the Holy Spirit, or Santo Spirito, one of Filippo Brunelleschi's last works. The church has belonged to the Augustinians for centuries, and has a small museum located nearby. The original convent, which is now part of the Military District of Florence, is located north west of the square.

The square itself was built around 1200, as the church grew in importance and a meeting place became required. There are many houses around the square, but the 1505 Guadagni Palace stands out in the south east portion. It included a loggia on the upper floor, which is a feature many other palaces soon copied. Florence's first library was inaugurated on the first floor of the Palazzo in 1914, and still exists.

The piazza's fountain dates to 1812, and was built by Giuseppe Rosso. A fountain dating from 1556 was already present, but this was demolished to build the current one. The current fountain is sandstone, with a large octagonal pool and a carved marble center and is truly beautiful.

In 1869 the entire square was paved and a garden built, but the garden was destroyed in 1938 when Hitler came to the city. The center of the square was repaved with ancient stones in 1976, and has been closed to traffic since 1987. Improved night lighting was installed in the late 1990s for the celebrations in 2000 and makes the square more navigable during the dark hours.

On the corner of Via del Presto di San Martino you can find a small baroque tabernacle featuring a plaster statue of the Madonna, which was restored in 1998. Another tabernacle can be found nearby and is a copy of a work in the Palazzo Pitti, depicting a Madonna and Child. Originally, a bas relief stucco of a similar subject was placed here, but that was stolen and replaced with the current one in 1909.

Festivals, markets, and artisans have had a place in the piazza since the medieval period, and they still remain today. In addition, you'll find excellent Florence apartments near this area - take the time to investigate everything about it before you come on your holiday to Florence. You won't be disappointed.