The Santa Croce Basilica (Florence) is one of the main churches of the city and the largest Franciscan church in the world, built in the late 13th century in the style of Florentine Gothic architecture, known as the Pantheon of Florence due to the large number of tombs in which many prominent Italians are buried.
Construction history
According to legend, the founder of Santa Croce is Francis of Assisi (died 1226), the patron saint of Italy, who refused material wealth in order to bring people the ideas of repentance and peace. Although its construction was begun in 1295 on the site of a small oratorio built by the Franciscans, not far from the Arno River. The name Santa Croce (Florence) is the Church of the Holy Cross translated from Italian. The project was carried out by A. di Cambio, a local sculptor and architect. The construction was funded by wealthy Florentine families, who considered it an honor to finance the construction 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 past centuries has changed more than once. This is especially true of the facade of Santa Croce (Florence): a photo of the early 19th century. shows it completely without decorations. The current appearance of the facade with 3 portals finished in 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 F. J. 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 was built in the form of a T-shaped cross. Over the past centuries, annexes (chapels) were gradually added to it from all sides. The lower tiers of the basilica are decorated with beautiful arcades, the upper - with bivalve windows. On the left side of the building is a portico of air and light arches.
The destruction occurred in the 16th century, in 1512 the old bell tower was broken by lightning, they could only be restored by 1847 according to the design of J. Bakkani, and now it is a wonderful 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 Brunneleschi and is considered one of the most beautiful monasteries in Florence. The smaller 3rd monastery (13th century) closes the groups of extraordinary structures of the Franciscans.
In front of the Santa Croce church in the square there is a statue of Dante, created by the sculptor E. Patia in 1865. Previously, it was in the center, but then it was moved closer to the building due to mass events.
Interior of Santa Croce
The inner part consists of a huge monumental space 115 meters long, made using unique design solutions. This is especially evident in the arrangement of the central nave, separated from two lateral vertical pylons of an octagonal cross section, from which pointed arches are directed upwards.
At that time, the decision of the interior of the basilica was bold and unconventional, making it possible to distinguish it from the rest of the religious buildings of the city. Light enters through mosaic windows made by A. Gaddy.
In the 16th century the church was redesigned, because of which (according to experts) a little lost its beauty. The ceilings are made of truss type, and tombstones are located in the floor, occupying almost the entire space of the nave.
Church Altar and Murals
The frescoes adorning the walls near the main altar were made by A. Gaddy (1387) based on the legend of the True Cross. On the right side: Archangel Michael transfers the branch of the Tree of Knowledge, Queen of Sheba and her worship of the Tree of the Cross, etc. On the left - St. Helen brings the Holy Cross to Jerusalem, then King Percy takes him away, Byzantine King Heraclius returns the Cross to Jerusalem, etc. The murals also contain many everyday and fairy-tale scenes. The most beautiful old stained-glass windows on the windows were made in the 14th century.
The altarpiece polyptych, written by N. Jerini, depicts the Madonna and Child, the side panels were made by other artists, in the upper part there is a “Crucifix” painted by masters of the Giotto school.
The altar is crowned by one of the unique paintings of the church - “Crucifixion”, which was created by the master Cimabue. This large painting (4.5 x 3.9 m), placed on a wooden cross, is considered the most impressive crucifix. However, during the flood in 1966, the work was so badly damaged that even attempts at restoration could not restore it completely.
Church chapels
Inside the church of Santa Croce (Florence) in 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, which were made by the most famous masters of Italy: Matteo Rosseli, J. Do San Giovanni, Fra Bartolomeo, J. Lee Bondone and his students.
The most famous of them:
- Maggiore Chapel and the fresco “Legend of the Holy Cross” by A. Gaddy (1380).
- Castellani chapel with frescoes by A. Gaddy with scenes from the life of the Saints (1385).
- The chapel of the Baroncelia with the family tomb and beggar, painted by T. Gaddy “Madonna”, on other walls - motives from the life of the Virgin Mary.
- The Chapel of Rinuccini presents the works of the master J. Di Milano, depicting the biography of Magdalene and the Virgin Mary (1379).
- The chapel of Peruzzi contains an image of the life of I. the Baptist and I. the Theologian, painted by the artist Giotto.
- Chapel Bardi - illuminates the life of Fr. Assisi (artist Giotto).
- Other chapels (Medici, Tosigny, Pulchi, etc.) also store priceless works of art.
Inside the basilica is the Monastery Courtyard, from which there are also exits to the chapels. So, the Capella dei Pazzi, called the “genuine pearl of the Early Renaissance”, is adorned with the most beautiful works of Brunelleschi (1443), decorated with the famous Italian masters D. da Setignano, L. affairs Robbia, J. Da Mayano. In front of the chapel is the pronaos, consisting of Corinthian columns. In 1461, it was sheltered by a small dome.
Pantheon Santa Croce
In the church of Santa Croce (Florence) lie the most famous people of Italy and honorary citizens of Florence. Some burials are true, in which the deceased celebrities are buried, while others, called cenotaphs, are tombstones that do not contain human remains.
Santa Croce is considered to be the birthplace of the Renaissance, as contains the tomb monument of L. Bruni, an Italian politician, created in 1444 by a master
B. Rossellino. 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:
- Monument-bust of Michelangelo, made by the master Vasari (1579), and many statues and figures by J. Battista and V. Chioli. Although Michelangelo died in Rome, he bequeathed himself to be buried in his hometown. Fulfilling his mandate and with the permission of the mayor of Florence, L. Buanarotti stole the body of Michelangelo from Rome and secretly moved him here.
- Cenotaph Dante Alighieri and statues of the heroes of his works are made by the sculptor Ricci (1829).
- Monument to Machiavelli by Spination (1787).
- The tomb of Galileo Galilei, who died in 1642, but because of the ban the church was not buried according to 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.
- Tombstone of the composer J. Rossini, who glorified Italy with the opera The Barber of Seville. Nine years after his death in 1868 in Paris, his body was transported from the Pere Lachaise cemetery and buried here in Florence.
- Tombstone of the historian and diplomat N. Machiavelli.
- Tomb of Joseph Napoleon and his daughter, etc.
In total, almost 300 eminent Italians are buried in the church, with each tombstone 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 Nicolini. It is set over his tombstone 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. Bartholdi (1887). As it is known for certain, Bartholdi lived in Florence in 1870 and was obviously inspired by the work of the Italian sculptor.
Of great interest to tourists is the cenotaph of the famous poet Dante (1265-1321), located in the church of Santa Croce (Florence). The story of the tomb of the poet, who became famous for his "Divine Comedy" and created the modern literary Italian language, has been going on for several hundred years. After the death of the poet, Florence fights with the city of Ravenna for the right to transport and bury his remains, but cannot achieve this. Everything happened back in the 14th century. through the fault of the rulers and inhabitants of Florence, who drove Dante out of their city for objectionable statements and opposition views. The writer moved to Ravenna, where he soon died. When Florence began to ask Dante to give her the dust, Ravenna did not agree, and since then the sarcophagus in Santa Croce has been empty.
Santa Croce: location, hours of work, prices
To find the famous basilica, you need to come to Piazza Santa Croce (Florence), where it stands. In ancient times, this square was the venue for fairs and tournaments; now it has become the venue for festivals, performances and concerts. Sometimes competitions in Florentine football are also held on it , where players are dressed in old suits and compete according to strict old rules.
In Santa Croce (Florence), the museum-church is open from 9.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. on weekdays and Saturdays, and on public holidays from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
The price of tickets to the church: 8 euros, preferential tickets for children aged 11-17, schoolchildren - 4 euros, free admission for children under 11 years old, residents of Florence, people with disabilities and accompanying persons.
Tourists reviews
Tourists who visit the beautiful church of Santa Croce (Florence) will enjoy a magnificent and magnificent sight: each chapel inside the church is a separate museum representing works by great artists, each tombstone is a masterpiece of sculptural art. Thoughts and feelings expressed by the famous writer Stendhal, who visited the Basilica: excitement bordering on awe. Exactly the same impression this monumental building makes on modern people.