Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
This 13th-century Dominican church is rich in art. Along with crucifixes by Giotto and
Brunelleschi, it contains every textbook's example of the early Renaissance mastery of per-
spective:
The Holy Trinity
by Masaccio. The exquisite chapels trace art in Florence from
medieval times to early Baroque. The outside of the church features a dash of Romanesque
(horizontal stripes), Gothic (pointed arches), Renaissance (geometric shapes), and Baroque
(scrolls). Step in and look down the 330-foot nave for a 14th-century optical illusion. Next
to the church are the cloisters and the museum, located in the old Dominican convent of
SantaMariaNovella.Themuseum'shighlightisthebreathtakingSpanishChapel,withwalls
covered by a series of frescos by Andrea di Bonaiuto.
Cost and Hours:
€5 for church and museum, covered by Firenze Card; church open
Mon-Thu 9:00-17:30, Fri 11:00-17:30, Sat 9:00-17:00, Sun 13:00-17:00, last entry 30
minutes before closing, audioguide-€5 (€8/2 people), modest dress required, no photos, tel.
055-219-257,
www.museicivicifiorentini.it
;
museum open Fri-Mon 9:00-16:00, closed Tue-
Thu, tel. 055-282-187.
This palatial perfumery has long been run by the Dominicans of Santa Maria Novella. Thick
with the lingering aroma of centuries of spritzes, it started as the herb garden of the Santa
Maria Novella monks. Well-known even today for its top-quality products, it is extremely
Florentine. Pick up the history sheet at the desk, and wander deep into the shop. The first
room features perfumes, the middle (green) room offers items for the home, and the third
room, which sells herbal products and dates from 1612, is the most historic. From here, you
can peek at one of Santa Maria Novella's cloisters with its dreamy frescoes and imagine a
time before Vespas and tourists.
Cost and Hours:
Free but shopping encouraged, inconsistent hours but likely daily
9:30-19:30, a block from Piazza Santa Maria Novella, 100 yards down Via della Scala at
#16—located on map on
here
,
tel. 055-216-276,
www.smnovella.com
.
The imposing Pitti Palace, several blocks southwest of Ponte Vecchio, is not only home to
the second-best collection of paintings in town, the
Palatine Gallery,
but also happens to
be the most sumptuous palace you can tour in Florence. The building itself is mammoth,
