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Best Religious Sites in Florence

, 16 Options Found

The Church was built in the middle of the thirteenth century and largely reconstructed during the Baroque period. Entering behind the third altar, notice the fresco by Sandro Botticelli of St. Augustine in His Study (1480) and, in the same partition, the second chapel. This belongs to the Vespucci family and contains frescoes by Domenico Ghirlandaio as well as other frescoes in which one can recognize members of the same family, probably including Amerigo Vespucci. From the cloister next to the church it is possible to enter the Refectory where there is the exemplary fresco by Dominico Ghirlandaio of Last Supper. This church is also the burial site of the great Renaissance artist, Sandro Botticelli.

Founded as a small church in the early 8th Century, the Pieve di Sant'Andrea is dedicated to St. Andrew the Apostle and is one of the oldest churches in the country. It was subsequently developed in the 12th Century and houses the famous Pulpit of St. Andrew made by Italian sculptor and painter, Giovanni Pisano. This Romanesque styled structure is decorated with sculptors, paintings and frescoes made by various artists over the years. The marble decorated facade was executed by Roman artists Gruamonte and his brother Adeodatus in the middle of 12th Century. Only some part of the original structure, however, exists today which includes the central part comprising of the fresco Father supported by Four Angels. Call for more information.

The church can be found in one of the most lively piazzas in the Oltrarno. The scrolled plaster facade is from the 18th Century, but is only the last phase of the building. The building was started in 1444 by one of the greatest creators of the Renaissance in Florence, Filippo Brunelleschi. Brunelleschi's geometric measurements are visible in the line of perspective that exists in the church's foundation, with its three naves which run down into the transept. The internal perimeter wall is punctuated with apses in which there are aristocratic family chapels. These are decorated with architectural motifs, altar pieces or paintings from different periods. Out of the many works, the ones which stand out are the decoration of the Corbinelli Chapel by Andrea Sansovino (1492) in the left transept, and in the right transept the altar piece of the Madonna on the Throne with Saints (1493-94) by Filippino Lippi. On the altar, there is the wooden crucifix which is attributed to Michelangelo.

Although the Baptistery's precise origins remain unclear, its foundations are known to date back to Roman times. The central doors are stunning works of art, depicting scenes from the Old and New Testament and they have been called The Gates of Paradise. Lorenzo Ghiberti who worked on them from 1403 to 1424 designed these ornate doors. Inside, the octagonal structure is richly decorated with Roman columns and gilded column heads. The floor's marble inlay features Islamic-style patterns and the apse is decorated with 13th-century mosaics. Coppo di Marcovaldo and Cimabue were among those involved in the cupola's decorative mosaic work.

This 2nd-century church is found in the Oltrarno. It was completely destroyed by fire, and rebuilt in the 18th Century by Ruggieri and then Mannaioni. The Brancacci Chapel is the most precious part remaining from the fire. It was frescoed by Masolino and Masaccio beginning in 1424 and was finished by Filippino Lippi after 1480. Inside, two particular scenes frescoed by Masaccio stand out: 'The payment of tribute' and the 'Purge from Paradise'. These constitute an example imitated throughout the Renaissance, especially in the ways in which naked bodies were studied at close quarters, both in their proportions and in their volumes. The chapel has a separate entrance where a minimal fee is applicable.

Outdone only by St. Peter's in Rome and St. Paul's in London, the Cathedral of Florence is the third-largest church in the world. Although the foundation stone of this architectural jewel was laid at the site of the Roman basilica of Santa Reparata in 1296, it remained structurally incomplete until 1436. The original Gothic design was laid-out by Arnolfo di Cambio, however, by the time it was complete, the cathedral came to be a collage of styles favored by the many commissioned to oversee its construction and the prevalent tastes of that moment in time. The majestic dome, one of the cathedral's defining features, is the ingenious work of Filippo Brunelleschi while the fresco that covers its interior is a vivid depiction of the Last Judgment envisioned by Giorgio Vasari. The neo-Gothic facade was added by Emilio De Fabris in the 19th Century - a masterpiece of green and pink marble, generous artistic flair and numerous sculptures. The fruit born of the loving devotion of some of Italy's most revered master artists, the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore is truly a vision beyond compare.

This complex was enlarged in 1437 by Michelozzo to accommodate Dominican monks who had moved to the city from nearby Fiesole. Traces of frescoes from the 14th and 15th centuries remain today, although some parts of the structure were modified during the Counter-Reformation and the facade was finally completed in the 17th century. One of the oldest pieces of artwork on display is the crucifix by an artist whose style is similar to Andrea Orcagna's, while at the far end of the church on the main altar is Fra Angelico's "Crucifix."

San Miniato is one of the most striking examples of Florentine Romanesque architecture, characterized by its bicoloured (white and green) marble façade. The altar, pulpit and transept recess feature fine marble décor, while the floor, in keeping with the Romanesque style, is decorated with symbolic ornamental motifs. Halfway along the nave on the left is another chapel, the Cappella del Cardinale Portogallo, which was designed by one of Brunelleschi's pupils. Its architectural and decorative style resembles one of Brunelleschi's first creations, the Sagrestia Vecchia (Old Sacristy), which can be seen in San Lorenzo church.

In Moorish style, the architecture of this synagogue, somewhat strange by Florentine standards, attracted the original Sephardim of Florence's Hebrew community. In line with the eclecticism at the end of the 19th century, its architecture also contains Christian elements such as the transept, the apse, the pulpit and the dome which with its green copper roof, is one of the city's most visible landmarks. All the internal walls were decorated between 1882 and 1890 by a local painter: Giovanni Panti, who made use of gold-plating to highlight the Moorish designs.

Enshrined within the hallowed walls of the Basilica di Santa Croce are the mortal remains of some of the city's most revered personages and numerous artistic treasures. A triumphant example of artistic prowess, the construction of the Basilica of Santa Croce began in 1294. Giotto's frescoes in the chapels at the head of the transept are considered to be some of the finest examples of 14th-century painting, while the 19th-century architect, Niccolò Matas, is responsible for the church's distinctive green and white marble face. The church also contains the tombs of the intellectual, artistic and religious figures from Italy's past, including Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Gioacchino Rossini, Galileo Galilei and Ugo Foscolo. Although exiled from Florence and buried in Ravenna, Dante, father of the Italian language, is honored with a cenotaph at the Basilica di Santa Croce.

The Basilica di Santa Maria Novella church was designed by architects Fra Sisto and Fra Ristoro, who were part of the Dominican order. However, the church which began construction mid-13th century constantly underwent changes and the gothic structure was consecrated finally in 1420. The church still in the lower part of the facade retains its grave niches, that have pointed arches, clad in green and white marble. The most important and interesting objects of art are to be found in the chapels. The sacristy and its furnishings can be seen on the left side of the church. As you descend the steps from the Capella Strozzi, you can purchase books and religious objects.

Compared to other religious buildings from the same period, this fourteenth-century church is somewhat unusual in design. Rectangular in shape, with two naves, it does look more like a grain store, which was in fact how it started out when first built by Francesco Talenti, Neri di Fioravente and Benci di Cione. After the previous grain store built in 1290 by Arnolfo di Cambio was destroyed, its replacement had to be built on a larger scale, enabling it to contain a marketplace. Arches were later closed off and the structure acquired two floors that were used for shops. At the end of the 15th century the building was converted into a church and became a powerful symbol for the city guilds, which met the cost of decorating the niches situated along the outside walls. For this they commissioned several of the most talented artists of the day to produce magnificent pieces of artwork, including Lorenzo Ghiberti, Donatello, Giambologna, Luca della Robbia and Verrochio. Of particular note are the copies of Donatello's statue of San Giorgio and bas-relief, whose originals are now in the Bargello museum.

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