Buy tickets & tours:GetYourGuide Basilica di Santa Croce (Basilica of the Holy Cross) is one of the most important religious monuments in Florence and one of the major Franciscan churches in Europe. It stands in Piazza Santa Croce, in the eastern part of the historic center, not far from the Arno River, the Uffizi area, and the medieval streets around Borgo Santa Croce. Basilica di Santa Croce is about 115 meters long and 38 meters wide, making it one of the largest churches in Florence. Its monumental complex covers about 12,000 square meters and includes cloisters, chapels, museum spaces, and convent buildings. Basilica di Santa Croce is also known as the Temple of the Italian Glories because it preserves or commemorates many important figures in Italian history. Among the people buried or honored here are Michelangelo Buonarroti, Galileo Galilei, Niccolò Machiavelli, Vittorio Alfieri, Ugo Foscolo, and Gioachino Rossini. The basilica is not only a burial place. It is also one of Florence’s richest artistic sites, with works connected to Giotto, Agnolo Gaddi, Taddeo Gaddi, Donatello, Filippo Brunelleschi, Giorgio Vasari, Bronzino, and Antonio Canova. Short History of Basilica di Santa Croce The Franciscan Origins The history of the Basilica di Read more [...]