Basilica di Santa Croce

Guided tour of Florence's principal Franciscan church, with Giotto's frescoes, the Bardi, Medici and Pazzi chapels and the burials of Michelangelo and Galileo.

The Basilica di Santa Croce, in Piazza Santa Croce, is the principal Franciscan church in Florence. Founded in the 13th century, it displays the lines of Gothic style and houses within it works ranging from the frescoes of Giotto to the Bardi, Medici and Pazzi chapels, where works by Donatello, Brunelleschi and other painters and sculptors of the Renaissance can be found.

Among the basilica's walls rest leading figures of Italian culture, including Michelangelo and Galileo. The guided tour, led by an expert guide, traces the history of the building, illustrates its architectural features and points out the less visible burial places, linking them to the masterpieces that surround them.

The visit is designed for those who wish to delve deeper into the religious and artistic history of Florence and want to read the chapels and tombs as part of a single narrative, from the medieval foundation to the Renaissance.