The Basilica of Santa Croce is Florence's great Franciscan church and the burial place of Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli and Rossini, which is why Italians call it the Temple of the Italian Glories. Inside, Giotto's frescoes cover two of its chapels. One of its most visited monuments is a tomb with no one in it: Dante's, whose body lies in Ravenna, the city where he died in exile.
Santa Croce at a glance
- Where: on Piazza Santa Croce, about 800 metres south-east of the Duomo, in what was once marshland outside the city walls.
- Built: begun on 12 May 1294 and consecrated in 1442; the marble façade was added in 1857–1863.
- By: probably Arnolfo di Cambio; the façade is by Niccolò Matas, and Filippo Brunelleschi was involved in the Pazzi Chapel in the cloister.
- What it is today: an active Franciscan church and museum complex with the basilica, cloisters, the Pazzi Chapel and the Museo dell'Opera in the old refectory.
- Time needed: one and a half to two hours for the basilica, cloisters and museum.
From Franciscan church to pantheon
Legend says Saint Francis himself founded the first church here. The present building, which replaced an older one, was started in 1294, paid for by some of Florence's richest families, and is often described as the largest Franciscan church in the world. Its plan is a Tau cross, a symbol of Saint Francis, 115 metres long, and its side chapels were decorated by Giotto and his pupils. In 1560, during the Counter-Reformation, Giorgio Vasari removed the choir screen and rebuilt the interior, and Giotto's frescoes in the Bardi Chapel were plastered over; they were uncovered again in the 19th century.
From the 16th century onwards it became an honour to be buried or remembered here, and the church filled with the tombs of famous Italians. The neo-Gothic façade was designed by Niccolò Matas, who worked a Star of David into it; as a Jew he could not be buried among the others and lies under the threshold. In 1966 the Arno flood filled the church with mud and oil, badly damaging Cimabue's Crucifix. A long restoration of Giotto's Bardi Chapel frescoes ended in 2026, when the scaffolding came down.
What to look for
- Michelangelo's tomb: on the right aisle, designed by Vasari, with three mourning figures for Painting, Sculpture and Architecture.
- Dante's cenotaph: Stefano Ricci's monument, carved between 1818 and 1829. Dante is buried in Ravenna, so the tomb stays empty.
- Galileo's tomb: opposite Michelangelo on the left aisle, built after he was finally allowed a proper burial in the church.
- The Bardi and Peruzzi Chapels: to the right of the main altar, Giotto's scenes from the life of Saint Francis and of the two Saint Johns.
- Cimabue's Crucifix: in the museum, still showing the scars of the 1966 flood, one of its most famous victims.
- The Pazzi Chapel: in the first cloister, a calm Renaissance space linked to Brunelleschi, with glazed terracotta by Luca della Robbia.
Stendhal's dizzy spell
In 1817 the French writer Stendhal described visiting Santa Croce and feeling so overwhelmed by its art and its tombs that his heart raced and he felt he might fall. More than 150 years later, a Florentine psychiatrist used his name for a set of symptoms she saw in visitors overcome by art: Stendhal syndrome. You are unlikely to faint, but it is worth slowing down rather than trying to see everything in one go.
Tips for your visit
- Arrive early or late in the day to avoid the groups, and book a ticket online in high season.
- Dress for a church: shoulders and knees should be covered, and keep your voice down near the chapels.
- Use the big Dante statue beside the façade as a meeting point; it was moved there from the middle of the square after the 1966 flood.
- In June the square is used for Calcio Storico, Florence's rough historic football, and the piazza is fenced in; check dates if you want to see it or avoid it.
Nearby
- Piazza Santa Croce: one of the largest squares in Florence, lined with palaces such as Palazzo dell'Antella, whose painted façade is worth a look.
- Scuola del Cuoio: the leather school in the former friars' dormitory behind the church, where you can watch artisans at work.
- Museo Galileo and the Uffizi: a pleasant walk west towards the Arno, for science history and the great art collection.
- Sant'Ambrogio Market: a local food market north-east of the square, good for lunch away from the crowds.
See Florence with World City Trail
Our Florence scavenger hunt turns the city into a game you play on your phone. The route links 10 stops and takes around three hours, with about an hour of walking. It includes the Duomo, Santa Maria Novella and the Uffizi, so Santa Croce makes a good extra stop at the end.
If you prefer a different format, there is also a self-guided walking tour and an outdoor escape game in Florence.
Play the Florence scavenger hunt →
Take the self-guided walking tour of Florence →
Play the outdoor escape game in Florence →
Facts checked in October 2026.