Florence is home to many great churches. One of the most important is the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella, or New Holy Maria. (Here, "new" refers to the church being new in 1360, replacing an older church on the site.)
The new church's construction began in the 13th century not longer after the relatively new Domincan order took over the site. Construction started around 1246 and took more than a century. When you see the size and scope of the church, the long duration of construction is easy to understand. In the church, St. Dominic, the order's founder, and St. Thomas Aquinas, a Dominican, are prominently featured.
While shopping before Christmas, we took a break to tour the church and its many buildings. The visit was a wonderful experience. Of course, we took some photos to share. Enjoy.
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| The façade of the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella |
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| The rose window, sparkling brilliantly at midday |
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| The large crucifix in front of the altar |
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| A diagram of the church and its many buildings. The church is the cross-shaped structure to the right. |
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| A history of the church |
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| One of the obelisks in the square in front of the church. If you look closely, you might see the turtles at the bottom corners of the obelisk. The turtles represent the motto of Cosimo I de' Medici: "make haste slowly" (festina lente). |
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| A close up of Cosimo's turtle |
Next Up: Some wonderful works of art in Santa Maria Novella.
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