Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The church dates to the early 11th century, although its typical Tuscan multicoloured
marble facade was tacked on a couple of centuries later. Inside, 13th- to 15th-century fres-
coes adorn the south wall and intricate inlaid marble designs line the nave, leading to a
fine Romanesque crypt. The sacristy in the southeast corner features frescoes by Spinello
Arentino depicting the life of St Benedict. Slap-bang in the middle of the nave is the bijou
Cappella del Crocefisso
, to which Michelozzo, Agnolo Gaddi and Luca della Robbia all
contributed.
Cappella Brancacci
CHAPEL
( 055 276 82 24;
www.musefirenze.it
; Piazza del Carmine 14; adult/reduced €6/4.50; 10am-4.30pm
Wed-Sat & Mon, 1-4.30pm Sun)
In the 18th century fire all but destroyed 13th-century
Basilica
di Santa Maria del Carmine
, but the magnificent frescoes in its chapel, to the right of the
church entrance, were miraculously spared. Visits are by guided tour (20 minutes, every
20 minutes), and advance reservations are recommended in season given that only 30
people at a time are allowed in.
This chapel is a treasure of paintings by Masolino da Panicale, Masaccio and Filippino
Lippi. Masaccio's fresco cycle illustrating the life of St Peter is considered among his
greatest works, representing a definitive break with Gothic art and a plunge into new
worlds of expression in the early stages of the Renaissance. The
Expulsion of Adam and
Eve from Paradise
and
The Tribute Money,
both on the left side of the chapel, are the
highlights.
Basilica di Santo Spirito
CHURCH
(Piazza Santo Spirito; 8.30am-12.30pm & 4-5.30pm Thu-Tue)
The facade of this
Brunelleschi church on Florence's most shabby-chic piazza is particularly striking in sum-
mer, when it forms an atmospheric backdrop to open-air concerts and a buzzing social
scene. Inside, artworks include Domenico di Zanobi's
Madonna of the Relief
(1485) in the
Cappella Velutti, in which the Madonna wards off a little red devil with a club, and Filip-
pino Lippi's poorly lit
Madonna with Child and Saints
(1493-94) in the Cappella Nerli in
the right transept.
Don't miss the door next to Capella Segni in the left aisle, which leads to the
sacristy
.
Inside, you'll find a poignant wooden crucifix attributed by some experts to Michelan-
gelo.
