Santa Croce Tours Florence: The Burial Place of Genius
Quick summary: The Basilica of Santa Croce is the great Franciscan church of Florence and the burial place of many of Italy’s most illustrious figures — Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli and the composer Rossini among them — which has earned it the name “the Temple of the Italian Glories.” Beyond the tombs, it holds important frescoes by Giotto and his school, and Brunelleschi’s exquisite Pazzi Chapel in its cloister. One of the largest Franciscan churches in the world, it stands on its own grand piazza. Entry is ticketed, and a guide brings the tombs and art to life.
Santa Croce at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| What it is | The great Franciscan basilica of Florence |
| Nickname | The Temple of the Italian Glories |
| Famous for | The tombs of Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli |
| Also buried | Rossini, Foscolo, Ghiberti and others |
| Art | Frescoes by Giotto and his school |
| In the cloister | Brunelleschi’s Pazzi Chapel |
| Size | One of the largest Franciscan churches in the world |
| Location | Piazza Santa Croce, east of the centre |
| Entry | Ticketed |
What Is the Basilica of Santa Croce?
The Basilica of Santa Croce is the principal Franciscan church of Florence, and one of the largest Franciscan churches in the world.
Begun at the end of the 13th century, it is a vast Gothic building on its own broad piazza a little east of the city centre, with a 19th-century marble façade. As a Franciscan church it was built for preaching to great crowds, which gives it its enormous, austere and light-filled interior.
But Santa Croce’s fame rests on something particular: it became, over the centuries, the place where Florence and Italy buried their greatest figures. It is a working basilica and an art-filled monument, but above all it is a national shrine — the resting place of genius.
Who Is Buried in Santa Croce?
Santa Croce is celebrated as the burial place of many of the most illustrious figures in Italian history, which is why it is called the “Temple of the Italian Glories.”
Its most famous tombs include:
Michelangelo — the great artist, buried here in a tomb designed by Vasari, back in the city of his birth.
Galileo Galilei — the astronomer and physicist, whose monument faces Michelangelo’s across the nave.
Niccolò Machiavelli — the political philosopher, author of The Prince.
Gioachino Rossini — the composer, and Ugo Foscolo, the poet.
Lorenzo Ghiberti, creator of the Baptistery doors, is also buried here.
Walking the nave of Santa Croce is therefore a walk past the tombs and monuments of some of the defining figures of art, science, politics and music — a concentration of greatness found in few churches anywhere. A guide brings out who they were and why they rest here.
What Art Does Santa Croce Contain?
Beyond the tombs, Santa Croce holds important frescoes and works of art, above all by Giotto and his school.
The chapels at the east end — the Bardi and Peruzzi Chapels — are decorated with frescoes by Giotto depicting the lives of St Francis and St John, among the most important works of the early 14th century and a landmark in the birth of Western painting. Giotto’s naturalism and emotional depth, so influential on everything that followed, can be studied here in their original setting.
The church also holds Donatello’s Crucifix and Annunciation, Cimabue’s Crucifix (famously damaged in the 1966 flood and since restored), and many other treasures. For an art visitor, Santa Croce is a gallery of early Florentine painting and sculpture as much as a church.
What Is the Pazzi Chapel?
Opening off the cloister of Santa Croce is the Pazzi Chapel, one of the masterpieces of early Renaissance architecture, designed by Filippo Brunelleschi.
Built for the Pazzi family, it is a small, perfectly proportioned chapter house of harmonious geometry — grey stone framing white walls, with roundels by Luca della Robbia. It is celebrated as one of the purest expressions of Renaissance architectural ideals, the same clarity and mathematical harmony Brunelleschi brought to the Duomo dome, here at intimate scale.
The chapel, the tranquil cloisters and the former refectory (now a museum holding Cimabue’s Crucifix) make up the wider Santa Croce complex, and are included in a visit. Many find the Pazzi Chapel one of the quiet highlights of Florence.
Why Was Galileo Buried in a Church?
Galileo’s presence in Santa Croce carries a particular irony worth understanding.
Condemned by the Church in his lifetime for supporting the idea that the Earth moves around the Sun, Galileo died in 1642 under house arrest, and the Church initially refused him a monumental tomb. For nearly a century his remains lay in a modest side room. Only in 1737, as his scientific reputation triumphed, was he given the grand tomb he now occupies in the main body of the church, directly facing Michelangelo.
The story captures the shift from condemnation to celebration, and it is one of the most resonant a guide can tell in Santa Croce — the man once silenced by the Church now honoured among Italy’s glories in one of its great basilicas.
How Does Santa Croce Fit Into a Florence Visit?
Santa Croce sits a little east of the main tourist core, on its own large piazza, which makes it slightly quieter than the sights clustered around the Duomo.
It pairs naturally with a walk through that side of the city, and it complements the other great churches: where the Duomo is the cathedral and Santa Maria Novella the Dominican church, Santa Croce is the Franciscan one — and uniquely, the burial place of the great. Together the three tell the story of religious and artistic Florence.
For visitors interested in the figures buried here — Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli — Santa Croce is essential, and it rewards being sought out beyond the busiest central streets.
Practical Tips for Visiting Santa Croce
- Entry is ticketed, unlike some Florence churches — factor it in.
- Seek out the famous tombs — Michelangelo and Galileo face each other across the nave.
- Don’t miss the Giotto frescoes in the Bardi and Peruzzi Chapels.
- Visit the Pazzi Chapel in the cloister, a Brunelleschi masterpiece.
- Take a guide for the tombs’ stories, especially Galileo’s.
- Dress respectfully, as it is an active church.
- Combine it with the eastern quarter, which is quieter than the centre.
Are Santa Croce Tours Worth It?
For anyone drawn to the great figures of Italian history, Santa Croce is one of the most moving places in Florence — a church that is also a national pantheon.
Nowhere else can you stand between the tombs of Michelangelo and Galileo, pass the resting place of Machiavelli, and walk a nave lined with the monuments of the artists, scientists, writers and composers who shaped Italy. This concentration of greatness is Santa Croce’s unique claim, and it gives the basilica an emotional weight beyond its considerable art.
And the art is considerable: Giotto’s frescoes, at the very fountainhead of Western painting; Donatello’s sculpture; Cimabue’s restored Crucifix; and, in the cloister, Brunelleschi’s exquisite Pazzi Chapel, one of the purest works of the Renaissance.
Because entry is ticketed and the tombs’ stories are not self-evident, a guide adds real value here — bringing out who lies in each monument, why Galileo’s tomb took a century to build, and how Giotto changed the course of art. A little east of the crowds, Santa Croce rewards the visit as fully as any church in the city, and for its combination of genius and art, it is well worth it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Santa Croce is the burial place of many of Italy’s most illustrious figures, earning it the name the Temple of the Italian Glories. Its famous tombs include Michelangelo, Galileo Galilei, Niccolò Machiavelli, the composer Rossini, the poet Foscolo, and Lorenzo Ghiberti. Michelangelo’s and Galileo’s monuments face each other across the nave.
Santa Croce is the principal Franciscan church of Florence and one of the largest Franciscan churches in the world, begun at the end of the 13th century. A vast Gothic building on its own piazza east of the centre, it is famous above all as the burial place of Italy’s great figures, and holds important frescoes by Giotto and Brunelleschi’s Pazzi Chapel.
The Bardi and Peruzzi Chapels hold frescoes by Giotto depicting the lives of St Francis and St John, among the most important works of the early 14th century and a landmark in the birth of Western painting. The church also holds Donatello’s Crucifix and Annunciation, and Cimabue’s Crucifix, famously damaged in the 1966 flood and since restored.
The Pazzi Chapel opens off the cloister of Santa Croce and is one of the masterpieces of early Renaissance architecture, designed by Brunelleschi. A small, perfectly proportioned chapter house of grey stone and white walls with roundels by Luca della Robbia, it is celebrated as one of the purest expressions of Renaissance architectural harmony, and is included in a visit to the complex.
Condemned by the Church in his lifetime for supporting the idea that the Earth moves around the Sun, Galileo died in 1642 under house arrest, and was initially denied a monumental tomb. For nearly a century his remains lay in a modest side room. Only in 1737, as his scientific reputation triumphed, was he given the grand tomb he now occupies, facing Michelangelo.
Yes. Unlike some Florence churches, entry to Santa Croce is ticketed, and the ticket covers the basilica, the chapels with the Giotto frescoes, the cloisters, the Pazzi Chapel and the museum in the former refectory. A guide adds particular value here for the stories behind the famous tombs.