See & do · Landmarks & architecture
Basilica di Santa Croce
Opening hours
- Monday: 9:30 AM – 5:30 PM
- Tuesday: 9:30 AM – 5:30 PM
- Wednesday: 9:30 AM – 5:30 PM
- Thursday: 9:30 AM – 5:30 PM
- Friday: 9:30 AM – 5:30 PM
- Saturday: 9:30 AM – 5:30 PM
- Sunday: 12:30 – 5:45 PM
Images provided by Google Places
Neo-Gothic Franciscan church known for its Giotto frescoes, plus tombs of Michelangelo & Galileo.via Google
The largest Franciscan church in the world, serving as the pantheon for Italy's most illustrious figures.
- Good to know
- Features Giotto's frescoes in the Bardi and Peruzzi chapels.
Reviews from Google
An incredibly beautiful and unique place. From the outside, it looks fascinating and deeply authentic, with a very unusual and striking combination of colors. Inside, it is truly breathtaking. You are surrounded by the tombs and memorials of some of Italy’s greatest historical figures, including Michelangelo, Galileo Galilei, Niccolò Machiavelli, Gioachino Rossini, and Dante Alighieri’s memorial monument. Seeing so many legendary names in one place can feel almost overwhelming at first. A truly unforgettable place, rich in history, art, and culture — absolutely worth visiting My recommendations to visit 👍
A local so aptly said, “Santa Croce is where Florence’s secrets are hidden.” I totally agree. Amazing architecture inside and out. The tombs are museum worthy works of art. The basilica is massive. Even with groups you do not feel crowded. So much to see and process. It is a small miracle that so much is intact after the 1960’s flood. Tickets prices are very reasonable. Please contribute to their restoration projects. Top 3 places to visit in Florence.
It is truly a lovely basilica and would recommend for everyone. We were fortunate enough to stumble across it late at night when wandering from a tiramisu and aperol journey to the store and our hotel and it was magnificent. In the day it is quite crowded and many school trips were happening, but you can go without prebooking a ticket. One downside would be to either get a audio guide or read about it before hand, because the map in English (I'm not sure about Italian one) has little to no information and is quite confusing. The Medici quarters were closed off, but we got to see the silhouette of a woman refurbishing the paintings which was something new and intriguing. Would recommend with a bit of prior knowledge.
The Temple of the Italian Glories It is famous not only for its beautiful Gothic architecture and frescoes, but also because many of Italy’s greatest historical figures are buried here. The atmosphere feels more artistic than monumental. I was really impressed by visiting temples of well-known Italian glories such as Michelangelo, Galileo Galilei, Niccolo Machiavelli, and Gioachino Rossini.I found it more emotionally powerful than some museums. I enjoy history and Renaissance culture. I like immersing myself in meaningful places rather than just tourist landmarks, so it was perfectly worth it to spend an hour in this invaluable place.
Spectacular. So much to see in a smaller place. There are many, many tombs, the most recognizable being Michelangelo, Galileo, and Machiavelli... to name but 3. Gorgeous frescoes and more to appreciate. I don't know what it is about this particular church, but I really loved visiting it.