Church of Santa Croce description and photos - Italy: Florence (Topic)

Santa Croce Church description and photos - Italy: Florence. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photographs and a map showing the nearest significant objects. The title in English is Santa Croce.

Photo and description

The Church of Santa Croce is a unique monument of great historical value, not only because of the purity of the expression of the Gothic style, but also because of the wealth of works of art stored in it. The creation of the Basilica of Santa Croce (Holy Cross), one of the largest churches in the city, is attributed to the ingenious master Arnolfo di Cambio, who began working on it in 1294. Work continued until the second half of the XIV century, but it was consecrated only in 1443. The facade with its three portals, designed by N. Matas, dates back to the 19th century. The bell tower, dating from the same period (1847), was built by the architect G. Bakcani. A portico of light, almost airy arches runs along the left side of the basilica.

The majestic interior consists of three naves. The central nave is separated from the lateral ones by slender octagonal pylons, from which pointed arches with double framing rush upwards like streams of a fountain. The beauty of the church suffered somewhat from redevelopment undertaken in the 16th century. The church has a truss-type ceiling; in the floor there are ancient tombstones throughout the nave space.

There are several chapels in the transepts, among which is the Chapel Maggiore with Agnolo Gaddi's fresco `` The Legend of the Holy Cross ''. (1380). In the altar there is Jerini's polyptych depicting the Madonna and Saints, and above is the Crucifixion of the Giotto school. The stained glass windows date back to the 14th century.

The most famous tombstones are located along the walls of the right nave: the monument to Michelangelo by Vasari (1579), the monument to Dante Alighieri by the sculptor Ricci (1829), a monument to Machiavelli by Spinazzi (1787) and a monument to Galileo Galilei.

On the right side of the transept is the Castellani Chapel with beautifully executed frescoes by Agnolo Gaddi (1385) depicting scenes from the Lives of Saints. In the altar - the Crucifixion of Jerini.

At the bottom of the transept is the Baroncelli Chapel with a beautifully Gothic family tomb and a niche decorated with a fresco by Taddeo Gaddi - Madonna. On the walls there are frescoes by the same artist depicting scenes from the Life of the Virgin Mary. Altar polyptych Coronation of the Virgin Mary by Giotto.

A portal by Michelozzo leads to the Sacristy, where in the Chapel of Rinuccini you can admire the frescoes with the Life of the Magdalene and the Virgin Mary by the artist Giovanni di Milano. The altarpiece by Giovanni del Biondo (1379) is beautiful. In addition to the above chapels, in the church of Santa Croce there are also chapels that store priceless works of art: the Medici Chapel, the Velutti Chapel, the Peruzzi Chapel, the Bardi Chapel, the Tosigni Chapel, the Pulci Chapel. a beautiful creation by Brunelleschi, who began work in 1443. The decoration of the chapel was made by such masters as Desiderio da Settignano, Luca della Robbia, Giuliano da Maiano. The chapel is preceded by a pronaos of Corinthian columns. The small dome with a conical roof and a circular lantern was completed in 1461. The interior is the embodiment of beauty and harmony of the Renaissance: gray stone pilasters emphasize the whiteness of the walls.

Topic: Church of Santa Croce description and photos - Italy: Florence.