Piazza Santa Croce

Piazza Santa Croce is a beautiful square in Florence, located in the eastern part of the historical center of the city.

SHORT HISTORY

On this area, in ancient times, there was an island formed by two arms of the Arno River. The Franciscans, who arrived in Florence around 1226, chose this isolated area for their settlement.

Similarly to Piazza Santa Maria Novella, where the Dominicans settled, Piazza Santa Croce was born about a century later, to accommodate the crowds of faithful arriving on pilgrimage to the Basilica of Santa Croce.

During the Renaissance, the rectangular shape of the square made it the ideal place for knightly jousting, games and popular competitions, such as Calcio Storico Fiorentino. In Piazza Santa Croce, took place the famous game of February 17, 1530, during the siege of the city.

Around that time, the square was bordered by wooden barriers that permanently delimited the area destined for games. At the end of the 18th century, under the rule of Pietro Leopoldo, Grand Duke of Tuscany, the wooden barriers were replaced by stone pillars that can still be seen today.

ARCHITECTURE

The most important building in Piazza Santa Croce is, without doubt, the Basilica of Santa Croce. The church dominates the square with its neo-Gothic facade built between 1853 and 1863 by the architect Niccolò Matas.

The southern and western sides of the square are occupied by some noble palaces, while the northern side, from an architectural point of view, has less importance.

Casa Chiavacci, which marks the corners of Borgo dei Greci and Via dell’Anguillara, preserves on the ground floor the facade in stone of the 14th-century building, and the coats of arms of the noble Peruzzi family.

Palazzo Cocchi-Serristori, located across the square from the Basilica of Santa Croce, has a facade characterized by large windows framed by elegant arches. The palace was restructured between 1485 and 1490, at the behest of Antonio Cocchi, a Florentine jurist.

Palazzo Gargiolli, overlooking Via dei Pepi, is developed on three floors, with a large portal surmounted by a beautiful balcony. Palazzo Gherardi Borghini, located across the square, has a facade characterized by a graceful balcony and a large round stone portal.

Palazzo dell’Antella, located on the southern side of the square, was built by unifying several adjacent houses into a single structure. The palace has a beautiful frescoed facade, work of the architect Giulio Parigi.

Palazzo Bartolini Baldelli marks the corner between Via dei Benci and Piazza Santa Croce. Erected on pre-existing 14th-century structures, the palace currently shows the characteristics conferred by a radical restoration directed by Niccolò Matas in 1826.

HOW TO GET THERE

Piazza Santa Croce is located about 1.6 kilometers away from the Santa Maria Novella railway station. The nearest bus stop is Magliabechi, located about 50 meters away, on the bus Line C3.