Santa Croce

One of the best-known things about the Santa Croce Church is that it has the tombs of a number of famous Florentines. I'm not a huge fan of visiting cemeteries, although the symbolism can be important. But it is awe-inspiring to see the actual burial sites of Michelangelo, Galileo, Dante, and more. One thing we noticed here was that the stained glass windows appeared to have more access to outside light than most of the places we've been in. Many of the buildings are very close together, blocking the sun.

Facade of the church; the piazza in front is very large

Unknown tomb in entryway; I was drawn in by the sad heads of the statues holding it up

Front of the church from the back

The altar area

Close-up of the altarpiece

Tomb of Galileo

There were many tombs in the floor: some were in relief and roped off

Tomb of Michelangelo

Close-up of statue on Michelangelo's tomb

Tomb of Dante

Tomb of Machiavelli

Annunciation relief sculpture by Donatello

In 1966 the Arno flooded this area to a depth of five meters. Many artworks were damaged or ruined. A symbol of the recovery is this crucifix by Cimabue. It was damaged and put into storage for 50 years. It has fairly recently been restored and hangs in a chapel.

As we left the main church and went into the cloisters, there was a sign for a Dante exhibition with the door covered with curtains. We went in to see a stunning show. The walls were covered in pictures of Dante's Divine Comedy. There was a small screen below that told what was being shown. The photos moved slowly from one scene to another. The background music was beautifully haunting.

The bookshop was in the refectory. Again, an enormous fresco dominated the room.