Florence
Santa Maria del Fiore (Our Lady of the Flower), Brunelleschi's Dome, and the Baptistery
View More
Main Door of Santa Maria del Fiore
View More
Santa Maria del Fiore was begun in 1296, and finished in 1436 with the completion of Filippo Brunelleschi's Dome.
View More
Santa Maria del Fiore with Brunelleschi's Dome
View More
Inside Santa Maria del Fiore (looking forward, toward the altar)
View More
Altar in Santa Maria del Fiore
View More
Inside Santa Maria del Fiore (looking backward, toward the main entrance)
View More
Stained Glass inside Santa Maria del Fiore
View More
Stained Glass inside Santa Maria del Fiore
View More
Stained Glass inside Santa Maria del Fiore
View More
Fresco of The Last Judgment (begun by Giorgio Vasari - the first art historian - and finished by Federico Zuccari after Vasari's death) on the internal vault of Brunelleschi's Dome. It was painted between 1572 and 1579, over 100 years after completion of the Dome
View More
Fresco of The Last Judgment (begun by Giorgio Vasari - the first art historian - and finished by Federico Zuccari after Vasari's death) on the internal vault of Brunelleschi's Dome. It was painted between 1572 and 1579, over 100 years after completion of the Dome
View More
Fresco of The Last Judgment (begun by Giorgio Vasari - the first art historian - and finished by Federico Zuccari after Vasari's death) on the internal vault of Brunelleschi's Dome. It was painted between 1572 and 1579, over 100 years after completion of the Dome
View More
Fresco of The Last Judgment (begun by Giorgio Vasari - the first art historian - and finished by Federico Zuccari after Vasari's death) on the internal vault of Brunelleschi's Dome. It was painted between 1572 and 1579, over 100 years after completion of the Dome
View More
The outside of Brunelleschi's Dome
View More
Our first order of business after landing in Florence was to climb the 463 steps to the top of the Dome. At 376 feet, it is nearly the equivalent of a 40-story building!
View More
This is where we were standing to get the following four photos
View More
Scenes from the top of Brunelleschi's Dome: The dome in the distance is that of the Basilica di San Lorenzo, first consecrated in 393 A.D. and rebuilt by Brunelleschi in 1419 (his first project in Florence). As the parish chapel of the Medici family, their principal members are buried there, as is the artist Donatello.
View More
View from the top of Brunelleschi's Dome
View More
View from the top of Brunelleschi's Dome (Giotto's Bell Tower in the foreground)
View More
View from the top of Brunelleschi's Dome (Basilica of Santa Croce)
View More
Fresco of The Last Judgment (begun by Giorgio Vasari - the first art historian - and finished by Federico Zuccari after Vasari's death) on the internal vault of Brunelleschi's Dome. It was painted between 1572 and 1579, over 100 years after completion of the Dome
View More
Tools used in the construction of the Dome, which is still the largest masonry vault in the world. Brunelleschi was quite an innovator and invented many of the heavy-lifting machines used in its construction.
View More
Giotto's Bell Tower is 277.9 feet tall (414 steps, which Jeff climbed). Construction began in 1334, according to the artist Giotto's plan. He died three years later, so his pupil Andrea Pisano, and later Francesco Talenti, finished the bell tower in 1359.
View More
Street view from the top of Giotto's Bell Tower
View More
Bell at the top of Giotto's Bell Tower
View More
The Duomo from the top of Giotto's Bell Tower
View More
Overlooking the Baptistery from the top of Giotto's Bell Tower
View More
The Baptistery, consecrated in 1059 by Pope Niccolo II. Houses the tomb of the disgraced Antipope John XXIII (by Donatello). The three entryways had bronze doors: South side, Andrea Pisano's Life of the Baptist, north side, Lorenzo Ghiberto's Life of Christ, east side, Michelangelo described as The Gates of Paradise (By Ghiberti). Note: Originals housed in the Opera del Duomo Museum.
View More
Giberti's Gates of Paradise took 27 years to complete - 12 years to model and cast, and 15 to chase, gild, and refine. Each side contains five reliefs of scenes from the Old Testament.
View More
Archaeological site of the ancient Basilica of Santa Reparata: Below Santa Maria del Fiore are the remains of an ancient basilica, which were brought to light during an archaeological project (1965-1973). The basilica was in use between 5th century to 1379, and its remains include many stunning mosaics and tombs. This grand peacock mosaic symbolizes eternity and resurrection.
View More
Ancient Basilica of Santa Reparta
View More
Ancient Basilica of Santa Reparta
View More
The tomb of Filippo Brunelleschi is tucked away among the ruins of the ancient Basilica of Santa Reparata. Such a humble resting place for a genius of such grand accomplishments.
View More
Opera del Duomo Museum: This is a reproduction of Michelangelo's second to last sculpture, a Pieta, which he ended up destroying out of frustration. The figure was later pieced back together and acquired by Cosimo III de' Medici. The face of Nicodemus, one of the men said to have taken Christ's body from the cross, is actually a self-portrait of Michelangelo.
View More
Accademia Gallery: Giambologna's plaster model for Rape of the Sabine Women (the marble sculpture is in the Piazza della Signoria)
View More
Accademia Gallery: "Deposition" - Begun by Filippino Lippi in 1504 (upper part) and completed by Pietro Perugino in 1507, after Lippi's death
View More
Accademia Gallery: The Young Slave (Michelangelo) is the first of four "Slaves" along the walls of the Gallery leading to the David. They were originally intended to decorate the base of the tomb for Pope Julius II.
View More
Accademia Gallery: The Awakening Slave (Michelangelo)
View More
Accademia Gallery: St. Matthew (Michelangelo)
View More
Accademia Gallery: Slaves: Atlas (Michelangelo)
View More
Accademia Gallery: The Bearded Slave (Michelangelo)
View More
Accademia Gallery: Gallery of the Slaves
View More
Accademia Gallery: The David (Michelangelo) is 17 feet tall and weighs over 12,000 pounds
View More
Accademia Gallery: The David (Michelangelo): The Carrara marble was considered flawed by other artists who had tried to work on it, including Donatello 50 years before
View More
Accademia Gallery: The David (Michelangelo): Michelangelo was given a workshop in the Opera del Duomo and began work September 31, 1501. Michelangelo was 26 years old
View More
Accademia Gallery: The David (Michelangelo)
View More
Accademia Gallery: The David (Michelangelo)
View More
Accademia Gallery: The David (Michelangelo) - The sculpture has been attacked several times throughout history: Debut year (1504), by political protesters throwing rocks (marks still noticeable on the upper back); in 1527, an anti-Medici riot, the left arm was broken in 3 places; 1991, a deranged man by the name of Piero Cannata, attacked the left foot with a hammer he had concealed in his jacket.
View More
Accademia Gallery: The David (Michelangelo) - It took four days to move the statue from the cathedral's workshop to its new location at the city hall in the Palazzo dell Signoria, where a commission of 30 Florentine citizens and artists (including Leonardo da Vinci) had decided it should be installed
View More
Accademia Gallery: The David (Michelangelo)
View More
Accademia Gallery: Tree stump support of The David
View More
Accademia Gallery: The David (Michelangelo) was orginally intended to be high up on the buttress of Santa Maria del Fiore, which is why it is said Michelangelo enlarged the head, hands, and feet, as well as drilling the eyes deeper than usual, which would have been played with the light in such a way that it would be tantamount to Hollywood special effects from that height.
View More
Accademia Gallery: Nineteenth Century Room filled with plaster casts by Lorenzo Bartolini
View More
Santa Maria Novella was originally a convent built between 1279 and 1357 by by Dominican friars. The facade is the oldest of all the churches in Florence.
View More
Santa Maria Novella
View More
Santa Maria Novella: Adoration of the Magi with Medici family portraits (Sandro Botticelli, c. 1475)
View More
Santa Maria Novella
View More
Santa Maria Novella
View More
Santa Maria Novella
View More
Santa Maria Novella
View More
Santa Maria Novella
View More
Santa Maria Novella
View More
Santa Maria Novella
View More
Santa Maria Novella
View More
Piazza della Signoria: Located between the Duomo and the Arno River, the main square in Florence and has been featured in many movies. The Arnolfo Tower (by architect Arnolfo di Cambio) was constructed in the 14th century. Prisoners awaiting execution were held here, including Cosimo de Medici (who ended up being exiled before rising to power later) and the ill-fated, fanatical Girolamo Savanarola
View More
Piazza della Signoria: A replica of the David stands where the original was installed right outside the Palazzo Vecchio (Old Palace), which was the town hall of Florence
View More
Piazza della Signoria: Hercules and Cacus (Baccio Bandinelli, 1534) Hercules killed the fire-breathing Cacus for killing his cattle. The statue was unpopular with Florentines, except for the Medici, and criticized by Vasari
View More
Piazza della Signoria: In the Loggia dei Lanza you can see the marble version of Giambologna's Rape of the Sabine Women (the plaster model is in the Accademie Gallery)
View More
Piazza della Signoria: One of the Medici Lions in the Loggia dei Lanza
View More
Piazza della Signoria: Neptune's Fountain (Ammanati, 1565, a student of Michelangelo's - the commission was for the celebration of a Medici marriage) It was unpopular with the Florentines, who called it Il Biacone ("big white dude") and used it as a public toilet. After being vandalized numerous times (the latest in 2005), the original Neptune was taken to the Bargello Museum.
View More
Piazza della Signoria: The spot where doomsday preacher Girolamo Savanarola was executed in 1498. Body was burned and ashes tossed into the Arno River. Becasue he ousted the Medicis and establishing a theocracy that required citizens participate in two Bonfire of the Vanities (1497 and 1498 - on this spot) where they were required to burn their "sinful" possessions; chessboards, playing cards, mirrors, perfume, tapestries, paintings, and books.
View More
Piazza della Signoria: A horse stops to eat in front of the Palazzo Vecchio
View More
Piazza della Signoria: The courtyard of the Palazzo Vecchio
View More
Piazza della Signoria: The courtyard of the Palazzo Vecchio - The Medici Coat of Arms
View More
Piazza della Signoria: The courtyard of the Palazzo Vecchio
View More
Piazza della Signoria: The courtyard of the Palazzo Vecchio
View More
Piazza della Signoria: The courtyard of the Palazzo Vecchio
View More
Piazza della Signoria: The courtyard of the Palazzo Vecchio
View More
Piazza della Signoria: The courtyard of the Palazzo Vecchio
View More
Piazza della Signoria: The courtyard of the Palazzo Vecchio - Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici (1667-1743) was the last of the Medicis and is responsible for signing what came to be known as The Family Pact in 1737, where she arranged for the Medici collection of art, books, and other valuables to remain intact and in Florence for eternity.
View More
Piazza della Signoria: Salute! Dinner at Rivoire after a long, hot day of sightseeing.
View More
Piazza della Signoria: Olive oil sampler with bruschetta at Rivoire
View More
Piazza della Signoria: Ravioli and lasagna at Rivoire
View More
Piazza della Signoria: Dessert at Rivoire
View More
Ponte Vecchio over Arno River, the only bridge that the German army did not destroy in WWII. Upper part of the bridge is the elevation Vasari Corridor (.62-mile), private path Vasari made for the Medicis linking Palazzo Vecchio with the Pitti Palace. The square windows along the top were added by Mussolini for a visit by Hitler; he felt that it was below the Hitler's dignity to stoop down to view the Arno.
View More
Medici Chapel of the Princes: Octagonal mausoleum erected between 1604 and 1640 and containing the cenotaphs (empty tombs) of the Medici Grand Dukes. It is covered in semi-precious stones and different colored marble
View More
Medici Chapel of the Princes: Octagonal mausoleum erected between 1604 and 1640 and containing the cenotaphs (empty tombs) of the Medici Grand Dukes. It is covered in semi-precious stones and different colored marble
View More
Cenotaph of Ferdinando I
View More
Cenotaph of Cosimo II
View More
Medici Chapel of the Princes: Octagonal mausoleum erected between 1604 and 1640 and containing the cenotaphs (empty tombs) of the Medici Grand Dukes. It is covered in semi-precious stones and different colored marble
View More
Medici Chapel of the Princes: Octagonal mausoleum erected between 1604 and 1640 and containing the cenotaphs (empty tombs) of the Medici Grand Dukes. It is covered in semi-precious stones and different colored marble
View More
Medici Chapel of the Princes: Octagonal mausoleum erected between 1604 and 1640 and containing the cenotaphs (empty tombs) of the Medici Grand Dukes. It is covered in semi-precious stones and different colored marble
View More
Medici Chapel of the Princes: Octagonal mausoleum erected between 1604 and 1640 and containing the cenotaphs (empty tombs) of the Medici Grand Dukes. It is covered in semi-precious stones and different colored marble
View More
Medici Chapel of the Princes: View from behind the altar
View More
Medici Chapel, Michelangelo's New Sacristy: The combined tomb of Lorenzo the Magnificent and his brother Giuliano, assassinated during Easter Mass (Pazzi Conspiracy) in 1478. Orginally buried separately in the Church of San Lorenzo, moved to this shared grave in 1559. The Madonna and Child in the center by Michelangelo, while the two on the side were completed by Michelangelo's students.
View More
Medic Chapel, Michelangelo's New Sacristy: Tomb of Guiliano de' Medici, Duke of Nemours (by Michelangelo)
View More
Medici Chapel, Michelangelo's New Sacristy: Tomb of Lorenzo de' Medici, Duke of Urbino (by Michelangelo)
View More
Medici Chapel, Michelangelo's New Sacristy: Altar (To the left of the altar is a small room where Michelangelo hid from authorities in 1530 when there was a price on his head for helping rebel "freethinkers" after the sack of Rome in 1527. His charcoal drawings are supposedly still on the walls, but the public is not allowed into the area.)
View More
Medici Chapel, Michelangelo's New Sacristy: The rotunda
View More
Bronze replica of Michelangelo's David at the top of Piazzale Michelangelo
View More
View of Florence from Piazzale Michelangelo
View More
Sunset over the Arno (and Ponte Vecchio) as seen from Piazzale Michelangelo
View More
Sun setting over Florence, as seen from Piazzale Michelangelo
View More
Sunset from Piazzale Michelangelo
View More
Uffizi Gallery: East Corridor
View More
Uffizi Gallery: East Corridor
View More
Uffizi Gallery: Bust of Emperor Nero in luni marble (54-68 CE)
View More
Uffizi Gallery: Ognissanti Madonna (Giotto, c. 1306-1310)
View More
Uffizi Gallery: Santa Trinita Maesta (Cimabue, 1290-c. 1295)
View More
Uffizi Gallery: Rucellai Madonna (Duccio di Boninsegna, 1285)
View More
Uffizi Gallery: Madonna of Humility (Masolino, 1415) This painting was stolen during WWII and ended up in Hermann Goring's personal collection. It was recovered in 1954 and entered the Uffizi in 1989.
View More
Uffizi Gallery: Madonna and Child (Masaccio, c. 1426)
View More
Uffizi Gallery: Portion of the Quaratesi Polyptych (Gentile Da Fabriano, 1425)
View More
Uffizi Gallery: Close up of the portion of the Quaratesi Polyptych (Gentile da Fabriano, 1425)
View More
Uffizi Gallery: Diptych of the Duchess and Duke of Urbino (Piero della Francesca, c. 1472-1475) The duchess is pale in this painting because it was actually painted post-mortem. As for the duke, he was painted showing only his left eye since he lost the right in a jousting tournament.
View More
Uffizi Gallery: Madonna with Child and Two Angels (Filippo Lippi, c. 1465) - Lippi was Botticelli's teacher
View More
Uffizi Gallery: Cestello Annunciation (Sandro Botticelli, c. 1489-1490)
View More
Uffizi Gallery: Primavera (Allegory of Spring) (Sandro Botticelli, c. 1480-1482 or c. 1477-1478)
View More
Uffizi Gallery: The Birth of Venus (Sandro Botticelli, c. 1484) Botticelli used a mixture of diluted egg yolk and varnish to make this painting look more like a fresco.
View More
Uffizi Gallery: The Tribune
View More
Uffizi Gallery: The plaster of the dome in the octagonal Tribune is inset with over 6,000 seashells from the Indian Ocean, with another 2,500 mother-of-pearl pieces in the drum.
View More
Uffizi Gallery: An airplane was added by restorers to the Uffizi ceiling around WWI
View More
Uffizi Gallery: Close up of the airplane painted on the East Corridor ceiling
View More
Uffizi Gallery: Adoration of the Magi (Leonardo da Vinci, 1481) - The sketched painting was left unfinished when Leonardo left for Milan in 1482
View More
Uffizi Gallery: Annunciation (Leonardo da Vinci, 1472 or 1475-1478)
View More
Uffizi Gallery: Leonardo's Annunciation was meant to be viewed from the side for proper perspective. Otherwise, the arm of the chair looks like a third leg of Mary, and the trees look oddly tiny.
View More
Uffizi Gallery: Guidubaldo da Montefeltro, Duke of Urbino (Raphael, 1506)
View More
Uffizi Gallery: Elisabetta Gonzaga, Wife of the Duke of Urbino (Raphael, 1502-1506)
View More
Uffizi Gallery: Portrait of Agnolo Doni and Maddalena Strozzi (Raphael, c. 1504-1506) in celebration of their marriage in 1504
View More
Uffizi Gallery: The reverse sides of the Doni and Strozzi portraits (attributed to Raphael's eccentric colleage known as The Master of Serumido) - The Flood, Rebirth of Humanity (from Ovid's Metamorphoses)
View More
Uffizi Gallery: Doni Tondo (Michelangelo, c. 1506-1508) - The only Michelangelo painting in Florence, it was probably commissioned by the Florentine merchant Agnolo Doni and his wife Maddelena Stozzi (see Raphael portraits of them above) on the occasion of the birth of their daughter Maria in 1507.
View More
Uffizi Gallery: Close up of Michelangelo's Doni Tondo
View More
Uffizi Gallery: Madonna of the Goldfinch (Raphael, c. 1505-1506)
View More
Uffizi Gallery: Venus of Urbino (Titian, 1538)
View More
Uffizi Gallery: Judith Beheading Holofernes (Artemisia Gentileschi, 1620-1621) - Artemisia was the first woman admitted to the Academy of Art & Design in Florence
View More
Uffizi Gallery: Medusa (Caravaggio, c. 1596-1598)
View More
Uffizi Gallery: Bacchus (Caravaggio, c. 1597-1598)
View More
Uffizi Gallery: Adoration of the Child (Gerrit Van Honthorst, c. 1619-1620)
View More
Uffizi Gallery: Judith and Holofernes (Pieter Paul Rubens, 1626-1634)
View More
Uffizi Gallery: Portrait of Marguerite of Lorraine, Duchess of Orleans (Van Dyk, 1634)
View More
Uffizi Gallery: The Old Rabbi (a.k.a. Portrait of An Old Man) (Rembrandt, 1665)
View More
Uffizi Gallery: Equestrian Portrait of Emperor Charles V (Van Dyk, 1621-1627)
View More
Uffizi Gallery: Portrait of a Young Man (Rembrandt, 1634) - Long thought to be a self-portrait
View More
Basilica of Santa Croce: Completed in 1385, the facade remained plain brown stone until Niccolo Matas, a Jewish man, designed the current facade (1854-1863), working a Star of David into it. He wished to be buried inside, but because he was Jewish, the Church instisted that he instead be buried at the threshold.
View More
Dante statue outside the Basilica of Santa Croce
View More
Basilica of Santa Croce: Altar
View More
Basilica of Santa Croce: Ceiling
View More
Basilica of Santa Croce: Stained glass window
View More
Basilica of Santa Croce: Tomb of Lorenzo Ghiberti (The artist who created the bronze "Gates of Paradise" for the Baptistery)
View More
Basilica of Santa Croce: Commemorative plaque honoring Guglielmo Marconi, who won a Nobel Prize in 1911 for inventing radio. In 1945, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the real inventor was actually Nikola Tesla, however.
View More
Basilica of Santa Croce: Commemorative plaque honoring Leonardo da Vinci (He is actually buried in the Chapel of Saint-Hubert, Amboise, France)
View More
Basilica of Santa Croce: Commemorative plaque honoring Enrico Fermi, the creator of the first nuclear reactor (He is actually buried in Oak Wood Cemetery on the south side of Chicago)
View More
Basilica of Santa Croce: Tomb of Galileo, also contains the remains of his favorite pupil, Viviani, his daughter, Suor Maria Celeste. Considered a heretic, Galileo was buried in what amounts to a closet under the Campanile. 1737, his body was moved to this tomb. 1992 the pope cancelled the condemnation imposed on Galileo in 1633. Tomb is directly across from Michelangelo's.
View More
Basilica of Santa Croce: Location of Galileo's original tomb (vestry to the Novitiate Chapel, or, Medici Chapel)
View More
Basilica of Santa Croce: Tomb of Giovanni Battista Niccolini, Italian poet and playwright, who is also said to have come of with the idea of wine labels when his servant's eye sight began to fail, causing the servant to bring the wrong bottles of wine to the table.
View More
Basilica of Santa Croce: Tomb of Francesco Nori, who died saving Lorenzo the Magnificent from assassination during the Pazzi Conspiracy of 1478 by throwing his body between Lorenzo and Bernardo Bandini's dagger.
View More
Basilica of Santa Croce: Tomb of Michelangelo (died in Rome on February 18, 1564 and originally laid to rest there). Cosimo I de' Medici wanted to honor him, so instructed Michelangelo's nephew and heir, Lionardo Buonarrati to steal the corpse. Cosimo I hired Vasari to make the tomb, includes three muses representing painting, sculpture, and archictecture.
View More
Basilica of Santa Croce: The table on which Michelangelo's body was laid for viewing upon arrival in Florence. It had been 20 days since the maestro's death, but no sign of decay. Note the crucifix by Cimabue in the background. Nearly destroyed in flood of 1966 and a team of hundreds, spending thousands of hours, were able to sift through the silt to reconstruct the paint.
View More
Basilica of Santa Croce: Centograph (empty tomb) of Dante (His remains are in Ravenna, Italy, where he had been exiled and died in 1321. Once he proved famous, Florence wanted him back, going so far as to try and steal his bones. The bones they got, however, were not his. Expecting the Florentines to pull such a stunt, the Franciscan monks in Ravenna hid them in the wall of their monastery.
View More
Basilica of Santa Croce: Pulpit (The acoustics make it much easier to hear mass when spoken from this mid-church pulpit rather than the front of the church.)
View More
Basilica of Santa Croce: Tomb of Niccolo Machiavelli, Italian dipolomat author, historian, philosopher, and diplomat known for his theory that "acquiring a state and maintaining it requires evil means".
View More
Basilica of Santa Croce: Anunciation (Donatello, c. 1433-1435)
View More
Basilica of Santa Croce: Tomb of Gioachino Rossini, the Italian composer known for 39 operas, including The Barber of Seville and William Tell Overture.
View More
Basilica of Santa Croce: Santa Croce Crucifix (Donatello, c. 1406-1408 or c. 1409-1410) Donatello's friend, Filippo Brunelleschi (as in, the Duomo) criticized the piece, saying that Christ's body looked like that of a farmer. Brunelleschi made his own crucifix, which is in Santa Maria Novella.
View More
Basilica of Santa Croce: The Legend of the True Cross fresco (Agnolo Gaddi, c. 1388-1393) Tells the story of Christ's cross made from a tree planted over Adam's grave
View More
Basilica of Santa Croce: The Legend of the True Cross fresco (Agnolo Gaddi, c. 1388-1393) Tells the story of Christ's cross made from a tree planted over Adam's grave
View More
Basilica of Santa Croce: The Legend of the True Cross fresco (Agnolo Gaddi, c. 1388-1393) Tells the story of Christ's cross made from a tree planted over Adam's grave
View More
Basilica of Santa Croce: The Legend of the True Cross fresco (Agnolo Gaddi, c. 1388-1393) Tells the story of Christ's cross made from a tree planted over Adam's grave
View More
Basilica of Santa Croce: The Legend of the True Cross fresco (Agnolo Gaddi, c. 1388-1393) Tells the story of Christ's cross made from a tree planted over Adam's grave
View More
Basilica of Santa Croce: The Legend of the True Cross fresco (Agnolo Gaddi, c. 1388-1393) Tells the story of Christ's cross made from a tree planted over Adam's grave
View More
Basilica of Santa Croce: The Legend of the True Cross fresco (Agnolo Gaddi, c. 1388-1393) Tells the story of Christ's cross made from a tree planted over Adam's grave
View More
Basilica of Santa Croce: The Legend of the True Cross fresco (Agnolo Gaddi, c. 1388-1393) Tells the story of Christ's cross made from a tree planted over Adam's grave
View More
Basilica of Santa Croce: The Legend of the True Cross fresco (Agnolo Gaddi, c. 1388-1393) Tells the story of Christ's cross made from a tree planted over Adam's grave
View More
Basilica of Santa Croce: The Legend of the True Cross fresco (Agnolo Gaddi, c. 1388-1393) Tells the story of Christ's cross made from a tree planted over Adam's grave
View More
Basilica of Santa Croce: The Legend of the True Cross fresco (Agnolo Gaddi, c. 1388-1393) Tells the story of Christ's cross made from a tree planted over Adam's grave
View More
Basilica of Santa Croce: Annunciation to the Shepherds (Taddeo Gaddi, c. 1330) Taddeo was Agnolo's father
View More
Basilica of Santa Croce: Ceiling of the Baroncelli Chapel
View More
Basilica of Santa Croce: Ceramic bust (According to Dan Harper, our guide, the process for making this particular kind of ceramic, where there blue and white do not run into each other, has been lost over time.
View More
Basilica of Santa Croce: Outside the Pazzi Chapel, attributed to Brunelleschi (1443 start and overseen until death in 1446). Commissioned by Pazzi family, enemy of Midicis and infamous for the Pazzi Conspiracy of 1478, Lorenzo the Magnificent's brother assassinated. Designed using the "Golden Ratio" of 1:1.618 - a proportionate relationship between the different parts of the building.
View More
Basilica of Santa Croce: Inside the Pazzi Chapel
View More
Basilica of Santa Croce: Inside the Pazzi Chapel
View More
Basilica of Santa Croce: Astrological fresco in the small dome over the chancel in the Pazzi Chapel
View More
Even the floor in the Pazzi Chapel is segmented based on the Golden Ratio
View More
Basilica of Santa Croce: Refectory: Tree of Life and Last Supper (Taddeo Gaddi, c. 1345-1350) The 1966 flood damaged the fresco, which was then detached in one of the boldest restoration efforts to date. It was returned in December of 1968.
View More
Basilica of Santa Croce: Refectory: Hell (Andrea Orcagna, c. 1345)
View More
Basilica of Santa Croce: Refectory: Last Supper (Vasari, 1546-47 - who painted the fresco inside Brunelleschi's Dome and created Vasari Corridor) Painting was also damaged by the 1966 flood. Restoration process took until 2016. It now hangs on a device with a moisture-sensor that will pull it up to the ceiling should it detect any water.
View More
Santa Croce Basilica: Cloister: Cypress trees, representing everlasting life, surround a monument to the fallen of WWI in the Park of Rememberance
View More
Santa Croce Basilica: Cloister: The Lady with the Lamp - Memorial to Florence Nightingale (Francis William Sargant, 1913) - The founder of modern nursing was actually born in Florence (hence her first name), although she did not spend much time in Italy.
View More
