Basilica of Santa Croce, Florence: check-in and check-out

The Basilica of Santa Croce (Florence) - one of the main churches of the city and the largest Franciscan temple in the world, built in the late 13th century in the Florentine Gothic style, is famous as the Pantheon of Florence because of the large number of tombs in which many outstanding Italians are buried.

History of construction

According to legend, the founder of Santa Croce is Francis of Assisi (died in 1226), the patron saint of Italy, who gave up material goods in order to bring people ideas of repentance and peace. Although its construction was started in 1295 on the site of a small oratorio built by the Franciscans, near the Arno River. The name Santa Croce (Florence) is the church of the Holy Cross in Italian. The project was carried out by A. di Cambio, a local sculptor and architect. Construction went on the money of wealthy Florentine families who were honored for the honor of financing the erection of the holy monastery, and lasted almost 150 years. The basilica was consecrated in 1443 by Pope Eugene the 4th.

The appearance of the church over the centuries has changed many times. This is especially true of the facade of Santa Croce (Florence): a photo of the early 19th century. Shows it completely without decorations. The present appearance of the facade with 3 portals, trimmed with white marble, was made only in 1853-1863. Architect N. Matas in the Neo-Gothic style with the money of English Protestants, in particular the British philanthropist FJ Sloane. That is why the blue six-pointed star of David appeared in the decoration, which is not a symbol of Christianity.

Florence: Basilica of Santa Croce (photo and description)

The main part of the building is built in the form of a T-shaped cross. During the last centuries, extensions (chapels) were gradually added to it from all sides. The lower tiers of the basilica are decorated with beautiful arcades, the upper ones with double-leaf windows. On the left side of the building there is a portico of air and light arches.

Destructions took place in the 16th century, in 1512 the old bell tower was broken by lightning, it could be restored only by 1847, according to the project of J. Bakkani, and now it is an excellent addition to the main building.

The Santa Croce basilica in Florence also includes 3 monasteries, one of which was designed by A. di Cambio. The other, located in the southern part, was created according to the project of Brunnaleski and is considered one of the most beautiful monasteries of Florence. The smaller 3rd monastery (13th c.) Closes a group of extraordinary structures of the Franciscans.

In front of the church of Santa Croce in the square is a statue of Dante, created by the sculptor E. Passy in 1865. Previously, it was in the center, but was later moved because of the mass events closer to the building.

Interior decoration of Santa Croce

The interior consists of a huge monumental space 115 m long, made using unique design solutions. This is especially evident in the device of the central nave, separated from the two lateral vertical pylons of the 8-coal section, from which the pointed arches are pointed upwards.

At that time, the decision of the interior of the basilica was bold and unconventional, allowing it to be singled out against the background of the other religious buildings of the city. The light inside comes through mosaic windows, made by A. Gaddi.

In the 16th century. The church was re-planned, because of what (according to the conclusion of experts) has a little lost its beauty. The ceilings are made of rafters, and in the floor there are tombstones that occupy almost the entire space of the nave.

Church altar and frescoes

Frescos decorating the walls near the main altar were made by A. Gaddi (1387) on the motives of the legend of the True Cross. On the right side: Archangel Michael hands over the branch of the Tree of Knowledge, the Queen of Sheba and her worship of the Tree of the Cross, etc. On the left - St. Elena brings St. Cross to Jerusalem, then the king of Persia takes him away, the Byzantine king Irakly returns the Cross to Jerusalem, Etc. Frescoes also contain a lot of household and fairy-tale scenes. Beautiful antique stained glass windows were made in the 14th century.

The altar polyptych, written by N. Gerini, depicts the Madonna with the baby, the side panels were made by other artists, at the top - "Crucifixion", painted by the masters of the school of Giotto.

The altar is crowned with one of the unique paintings of the church - "Crucifixion", created by the master Cimabue. This large picture (4,5х3,9 m), placed on a wooden cross, is considered the most impressive version of the crucifixion. However, during the flood in 1966, the work was so severely damaged that even attempts at restoration could not completely restore it.

Chapels of the Church

Inside the Church of Santa Croce (Florence) in the transepts there are 16 chapels (chapels), each of which is a separate annex. The chapels are decorated with unique frescoes and sculptures of different centuries that were executed by the most famous masters of Italy: Matteo Rosseli, J. Do San Giovanni, Fra Bartolomeo, J. Lee Bondone and his disciples.

The most famous of them are:

• The Chapel of Maggiore and the fresco "The Legend of the Holy Cross" was made by A. Gaddi (1380).
• Capella Castellani with frescoes by A. Gaddi with scenes from the life of the Saints (1385).
• Chapel of Baronchelia with a family tomb and a beggar painted by T. Gaddi "Madonna", on other walls - motifs from the life of the Virgin Mary.
• Rinuccini Chapel presents the works of the master J. Di Milano, depicting the life of the Magdalene and the Virgin Mary (1379).
• The chapel of Peruzzi contains a depiction of the life of I. Baptist and I. Bogoslov written by the artist Giotto.
• Bardy's Chapel - illuminates the life of Fr. Assisi (the artist Giotto).
• Other chapels (Medici, Toshinyi, Pulci, etc.) also store priceless works of art.

Inside the basilica is the Monastery yard, from which there are also exits to the chapel. Thus, the Capella dei Pazzi, called the "genuine gem of the Early Renaissance", is adorned with the most beautiful works of Brunelleschi (1443), decorated with the famous Italian masters D. da Settignano, L. Robbie, J. Da Maiano. Before the chapel is a pronaos, consisting of Corinthian columns. In 1461 it was covered with a small dome.

The Pantheon of Santa Croce

In the church of Santa Croce (Florence) rest the most famous people of Italy and the honorary citizens of Florence. Part of the graves are true, in which the dead celebrities are buried, and others, called cenotaphs, are tombstones that do not contain human remains.

Santa Croce is rightfully considered the birthplace of the Renaissance, because Contains a monument to the tomb of L. Bruni, an Italian politician, created in 1444 by a master
B. Rosselino. This monument became a model for future works of the Renaissance, including the tomb of K. Marsuppini near the northern wall of the church.

The most famous tombstones are located along the right nave of the southern wall:

• The monument-bust of Michelangelo, executed by the master Vasari (1579), and many statues and figures of the work of J. Battista and V. Cioli. Although Michelangelo also died in Rome, but bequeathed himself to be buried in his native city. Fulfilling his mandate and with the permission of the mayor of Florence, L. Buanarotti stole the body of Michelangelo from Rome and secretly transported him here.

• The cenotaph of Dante Alighieri and the statues of the heroes of his works are made by the sculptor Ricci (1829).
• Monument to Machiavelli by Spinacii (1787).
• The tomb of Galileo Galilei, who died in 1642, but because of the prohibition of the church was not buried by Christian customs until 1737. Then his body was transported and placed in the church, the sculptural composition and bust of Galileo were made by J. Battista Foggini.

• The tomb of the composer G. Rossini, who glorified Italy with the opera "The Barber of Seville". 9 years after his death in 1868 in Paris, his body was transported from the cemetery of Pere Lachaise and buried here in Florence.
• The tombstone of the historian and diplomat N. Machiavelli.
• The tomb of Joseph Napoleon and his daughter, etc.

In total, nearly 300 eminent Italians are buried on the territory of the church, and each tombstone is decorated with sculptures and bas-reliefs.

Interesting Facts

One of the sights of the church is the statue of Poetry, made by the Florentine Pio Fedi in 1883, dedicated to the memory of the poet and playwright J. Battista Nicollini. It is set over his tomb in the basilica of the Holy Cross.

This figure is very similar to the statue of Liberty, the work of the outstanding French sculptor Fr. Bartholdy (1887). As it is known for certain, Bartholdi lived in Florence in 1870 and, obviously, was inspired by the work of the Italian sculptor.

Great interest among tourists is caused by the cenotaph of the famous poet Dante (1265-1321), located in the church of Santa Croce (Florence). The story with the tomb of the poet, famous for his "Divine Comedy" and creating modern literary Italian, has been going on for several hundred years. After the death of the poet Florence fights against the city of Ravenna for the right to transport and bury his remains, but can not achieve it. Everything happened back in the 14th century. Through the fault of the rulers and inhabitants of Florence, who drove Dante out of his city for unwanted statements and oppositional views. The writer moved to Ravenna, where he soon died. When Florence asked to give her Dante's ashes, Ravenna disagreed, and since that time the sarcophagus in Santa Croce has been empty.

Santa Croce: location, clock robots, prices

To find the famous basilica, you need to come to the square of Santa Croce (Florence), on which it stands. This square in the old days was the venue for fairs and tournaments, now it has become a venue for festivals, performances and concerts. It is also held sometimes competitions in Florentine football, where players are dressed in ancient costumes and compete in strict ancient rules.

In Santa Croce (Florence) the opening hours of the museum-church are from 9.30 to 17.30 on weekdays and Saturdays, on holidays from 14.00 to 17.00.

The price of tickets to the church: 8 euros, discount tickets for children aged 11-17 years, schoolchildren - 4 euros, free admission for children under 11 years, residents of Florence, disabled and accompanying.

Reviews of tourists

Tourists who have visited the beautiful church of Santa Croce (Florence) expect a magnificent and majestic spectacle: each chapel inside the church is a separate museum representing works of great artists, each tombstone is a masterpiece of sculptural art. The thoughts and feelings expressed by the famous writer Stendhal, who visited the Basilica: an excitement bordering on reverence. Exactly the same impression is produced by this monumental structure on modern people.