# Basilica of Santa Croce, Florence > Santa Croce is Florence's largest Franciscan basilica, on the square of the same name. Called the "Temple of Italian Glories", it holds monuments to Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli and Rossini, frescoes by Giotto and, in the cloister, Brunelleschi's Pazzi Chapel. Entry is paid; allow about an hour. Web page: https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/santa-croce - City: [Florence](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence), Italy - YesGo score: 50/100 (Yes, go) - Time on site: 1 h - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Paid - Opening hours: Daily, Sunday from early afternoon - Highlights: Giotto, monuments to great Italians, the Pazzi Chapel - Façade: Gothic Revival, 1863 - Time needed: About an hour - Location: Piazza Santa Croce, 10 minutes from the Duomo - Coordinates: 43.76845, 11.26274 - Facts checked: 11.11.2026 ## Key facts - **1294** — construction began (source: English Wikipedia) - **Franciscan** — the order's largest church in the world (source: English Wikipedia) - **Giotto** — painted the Bardi and Peruzzi chapels (source: English Wikipedia) - **1863** — the marble façade was completed (source: English Wikipedia) - **Pazzi Chapel** — Brunelleschi's early Renaissance gem in the cloister (source: English Wikipedia) ## A short history The basilica was begun for the **Franciscans** in **1294**, its design credited to **Arnolfo di Cambio**, architect of the cathedral and Palazzo Vecchio. It's the largest Franciscan church in the world: a vast, light hall under a painted timber roof, with slender columns and stained glass, where wealthy families built chapels and commissioned the best painters. The marble **Gothic Revival façade** in white, green and pink came only in **1863**. A statue of Dante stands to the left of the entrance, and on the square in front Florentines have played their historic football, calcio storico, since the 16th century. ## The Temple of Italian Glories Santa Croce holds monuments to Italy's most famous figures, earning its nickname. To the right of the entrance is **Michelangelo**'s tomb by Vasari, with allegories of painting, sculpture and architecture; beyond are monuments to **Machiavelli**, the composer **Rossini** and a cenotaph to **Dante**, with **Galileo**'s tomb opposite. Each is a work of art of its era, and it was here, Stendhal wrote, that he felt dizzy from so much beauty — giving us "Stendhal syndrome". ## Giotto and the Pazzi Chapel To the right of the high altar, the **Bardi and Peruzzi chapels** were painted by **Giotto** in the early 14th century with the lives of St Francis and St John the Baptist — landmark frescoes in which real people show real feeling. The cloister holds **Filippo Brunelleschi**'s **Pazzi Chapel**, an early Renaissance masterpiece: a bright square hall under a dome, grey stone arches on white walls and glazed terracotta apostle roundels by Luca della Robbia. The **Opera di Santa Croce museum** nearby holds Cimabue's great Crucifix. ## Piazza Santa Croce The long square in front has hosted tournaments, festivals and sermons since the Middle Ages, and since the 16th century **calcio storico**, Florence's rough historic football. Matches between the four city quarters take place every June, with the final on 24 June, St John's Day, when the square is covered in sand and lined with stands. The rest of the year it's a lively spot with cafés, leather shops and street musicians, and the Palazzo dell'Antella's façade is covered in 17th-century frescoes. ## What to see - **Giotto's frescoes** — the Bardi and Peruzzi chapels. - **Michelangelo's tomb** — by Vasari. - **Galileo, Machiavelli, Rossini** — and Dante's cenotaph. - **Pazzi Chapel** — Brunelleschi, in the cloister. - **Cimabue's Crucifix** — in the museum. - **Piazza Santa Croce** — Dante's statue and frescoed houses. > **The leather school** Behind the basilica, in former monastery rooms, the Scuola del Cuoio leather school — founded by the Franciscans with a family of craftsmen after the Second World War — lets you watch artisans make bags and belts and buy their work; entry is free. ## How to get there 1. From [Florence Cathedral](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/florence-cathedral), 10 minutes on foot. 2. From [Piazza della Signoria](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/piazza-della-signoria), 7 minutes along Via dei Neri. 3. From the [Bargello](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/bargello), 5 minutes on foot. 4. Buses C1 and C3 stop by Piazza Santa Croce. ## Is Santa Croce worth it? Yes — one of Italy's most beautiful and significant churches, with Giotto's frescoes, monuments to great Italians and Brunelleschi's Pazzi Chapel under one roof. It's less crowded than the cathedral and the ticket is modest. Afterwards, sit in a café on the square or visit the leather school. ## Before you go Tick off what's ready — your ticks are saved in this browser. - [ ] Buy a ticket online or at the desk - [ ] Cover shoulders and knees - [ ] Find Giotto's frescoes right of the altar - [ ] Step into the cloister for the Pazzi Chapel - [ ] Visit the leather school ## Florence's churches: compare and choose Churches and basilicas in Florence rated by YesGo. - [Florence Cathedral](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/florence-cathedral) — YesGo score 60/100 (Yes, go) · 2 h · Free; dome paid - [Santa Croce](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/santa-croce) — YesGo score 50/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · Paid - [Santa Maria Novella](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/santa-maria-novella) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Paid - [Florence Baptistery](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/florence-baptistery) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Combined cathedral pass - [Basilica of San Lorenzo](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/san-lorenzo) — YesGo score 46/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Paid - [Orsanmichele](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/orsanmichele) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free - [Santo Spirito](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/santo-spirito) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 40 min · Free - [Medici Chapels](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/medici-chapels) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Paid - [San Miniato al Monte](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/san-miniato) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free - [Brancacci Chapel](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/brancacci-chapel) — YesGo score 41/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Paid, timed entry - [Giotto's Campanile](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/giottos-campanile) — YesGo score 41/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Combined cathedral pass ## From the Signoria to Santa Croce Piazza della Signoria, the Bargello and the Basilica of Santa Croce with the Pazzi Chapel. 1. [Piazza della Signoria](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/piazza-della-signoria) — YesGo score 53/100 (Yes, go) · 40 min · Free 2. [Bargello](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/bargello) — YesGo score 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · Paid 3. [Santa Croce](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/santa-croce) — YesGo score 50/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · Paid ## Don't mix it up Florence's Santa Croce isn't Rome's Santa Croce in Gerusalemme or other churches of the name — "Santa Croce" simply means "Holy Cross". ## Tips - Giotto is right of the altar. - The Pazzi Chapel is in the cloister. - Cover shoulders and knees. - The leather school is next door. ## Questions ### What is there to see in Santa Croce? Giotto's frescoes, monuments to Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli and Rossini, the Pazzi Chapel and Cimabue's Crucifix. ### Is Santa Croce free? No, there's a ticket; proceeds fund restoration. ### Why is it called the Temple of Italian Glories? It holds monuments to Italy's greatest figures, from Michelangelo to Rossini. ### How long do you need? About an hour including the Pazzi Chapel. ### Who built the Pazzi Chapel? Filippo Brunelleschi, architect of the cathedral dome. ## How we checked History, frescoes and monuments from English Wikipedia. Prices and hours weren't confirmed with an official source — hence the 'checking' badge. ## Sources - English Wikipedia, Santa Croce, Florence; Pazzi Chapel - Official site santacroceopera.it --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.