Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
This 14th-century Franciscan church, decorated with centuries of precious art, holds the
tombs of great Florentines. The loud 19th-century Victorian Gothic facade faces a huge
squareringedwithtemptingshopsandlitteredwithtiredtourists.Escapeintothechurchand
admire its sheer height and spaciousness.
On the left wall (as you face the altar) is the
tomb of Galileo Galilei
(1564-1642),
the Pisan who lived his last years under house arrest near Florence for having defied the
Church by saying that the earth revolved around the sun. His heretical remains were only
allowed in the church long after his death. Directly opposite (on the right wall) is the
tomb
of Michelangelo Buonarroti
(1475-1564).
The first chapel to the right of the main altar features the famous fresco by Giotto of
the
Death of St. Francis.
With simple but eloquent gestures, Francis' brothers bid him a sad
farewell.
In the hallway near the bookstore, notice the photos of the devastating flood of 1966.
Beyond that is the leather school (free entry).
Exit between the Rossini and Machiavelli tombs into the delightful cloister (open-air
courtyard). On the left, enter Brunelleschi's Pazzi Chapel, which captures the Renaissance
in miniature.
Cost and Hours:
€6, €8.50 combo-ticket with nearby Casa Buonarroti, covered by
Firenze Card, Mon-Sat 9:30-17:30, Sun 14:00-17:30, last entry 30 minutes before closing,
audioguide-€5 (€8/2 people), modest dress required, 10-minute walk east of the Palazzo
Vecchio along Borgo de' Greci, tel. 055-246-6105,
www.santacroceopera.it
. The
leather
school
is free and sells tickets to the church. If the church has a long line, come here to
avoid it (daily 10:00-18:00, has own entry behind church plus an entry within the church,
▲
Casa Buonarroti (Michelangelo's House)
Fans enjoy a house standing on property once owned by Michelangelo. The house was built
after Michelangelo's death by the artist's grand-nephew, who turned it into a little museum
honoringhisfamousrelative.You'llseesomeofMichelangelo'searly,less-than-monument-
al statues and a few sketches. Be warned: Michelangelo's descendants attributed everything
they could to their famous relative, but very little here (beyond two marble relief panels and
a couple of sketches) is actually by Michelangelo.
CostandHours:
€6.50,€8.50combo-ticketwithSantaCroceChurch,coveredbyFiren-
ze Card, Wed-Mon 10:00-17:00, closed Tue, English descriptions, Via Ghibellina 70, tel.
055-241-752.
