Santa Maria Novella

Did I actually say recently that I wasn't much into sight-seeing any more? I think that was before I got back to Florence. This must be one of the richest cities in the world for art. Of course it was the center of the Renaissance and that is what is on display here. We've been seeing two major churches or museums each day and there is so much to show. So here comes another Saturday post.

Friday afternoon we went to the church of Santa Maria Novella. This was the first thing we saw when we came out of the train station; it is right in front of it (in fact, the train station is called the SMN station). Since it is the closest monument to our hotel, we didn't want to miss it.

We have been very fortunate in visiting all these places. We have never felt crowded or like there were too many people to get a good look at everything. However, today at the Accademia, there many, many people all over (except in the musical instruments area, which was of particular interest to us). I'll post about that tomorrow.

The Santa Maria Novella Piazza with nice flower beds

Looking up in the nave

Highly decorated arches

This church was highly decorated with frescoes, perhaps as many or more than in the Sistine Chapel. Ghirlandaio as well as others are represented, in fact the list of names has many familiar to those who have studied late Gothic and early Renaissance art. Below is a view of the altar and the apse. You can see that the walls are covered with frescoes, mainly from the life of Christ.

Closer look at some of the frescoes

Stained-glass windows

Frescoes in a side chapel

Vestment in the small museum