Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Aside from the tombs, visitors should seek out the Giotto frescoes near the
front altar. The 14th-century works have faded from their original glory, but
reflect the Franciscan nature of the church much more than the self-important
tombs along the aisles.
Outside the main church, visit the peaceful Pazzi Chapel. Brunelleschi (of
Duomo fame) designed this structure for the Pazzi family just before their unsuc-
cessful coup/murder plot against the Medicis. The Pazzi name was erased from the
chapel for hundreds of years, and no Pazzis were ever buried here, but the chapel
retains its simple, symmetrical Renaissance beauty.
Keep walking through the enclosed garden to reach the refectory. This quiet
area contains many Renaissance artworks including the famous Cimabue
Crucifixion,
restored after it was covered by water in the 1966 floods (see “The
Floodwaters Are Rising!” above). The cross now hangs from retractable wires so
that it can be yanked up should water fill the building again.
For fans of Michelangelo (and who isn't?), the other worthy sight in the area
is the small house that he inhabited in Florence. It's now a museum:
Casa
Buonarroti
(Via Ghibellina, 70;
%
055-241752;
€
6.50; Wed-Mon 9:30am-2pm).
Inside you'll view some of Michelangelo's bas-relief sculptures, done when he was
a teenager, as well as a number of his sketches.
PIAZZA SANTA MARIA NOVELLA, PIAZZA SAN
LORENZO & PIAZZA MADONNA DEGLI ALDOBRANDINI
Just across the street from Florence's main Santa Maria Novella train station
stands perhaps the most conveniently located historic site in Italy, the
Santa Maria
Novella Church
(Piazza Santa Maria Novella;
%
055-215918;
€
2.50;
Mon-Thurs 9am-5pm, Fri-Sun 1-5pm).
Even if you only have a 30-minute train
layover in town, pop across the street to see this church which contains some of
the finest frescoes in Florence—no small feat. Construction began in the 1240s,
prior to the Renaissance, and the main part was completed in 1360. The artwork
inside traces this journey of pre-Renaissance styles through the dawning of the
new age, and the top three treasures include Ghirlandaio's frescoes behind the
altar, Giotto's
Crucifix,
and Masaccio's
Trinità
fresco.
Giotto's
Crucifix
is an early example of naturalistic depiction of the human
body. Painted in 1289, Christ's body appears to hang heavily on the cross, with
the twists of the limbs and curves of the torso adding to the emotional weight of
the composition. Compare this piece with the church's other crucifixion scenes,
done in a Byzantine, iconic style. Masaccio's
Holy Trinity
fresco, midway along the
left wall of the church, is the epitome of Renaissance-style perspective. The 1428
composition incorporates mathematical principles that give the work a certain
realism.
Domenico Ghirlandaio and his assistants (including a 16-year-old
Michelangelo) created the series of frescoes behind the main altar. While formally
known as
Lives of the Virgin and St. John the Baptist,
the series of religious scenes
is more about Florence of the 1480s. Note how characters in the scenes wear con-
temporary clothes, and note especially the prominent appearance of random folks
(actually the sponsors of the painting, members of the Tornabuoni clan) next to
various saints. And before you leave be sure to stop for a moment in front of
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