Florence · Santa Croce · Italy

Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence

historicreligiousculturegoogle verified

easy

10/10

best: morning, afternoon

contemplative, nostalgic

A local would say...

Michelangelo, Galileo, and Machiavelli are all buried in the same church — but the real reason to come is Giotto's 700-year-old frescoes, still glowing with medieval blue.

The austere interior of this Franciscan basilica — designed by Arnolfo di Cambio from 1294 to 1385 — comes as a shock after its magnificent neo-Gothic marble facade. Inside lie the tombs of Michelangelo, Galileo, and Ghiberti, alongside Giotto's luminous frescoes in the chapels to the right of the altar, which are the true artistic highlight. The surrounding piazza is one of Florence's most spacious and beautiful.