Piazza di Santa Croce - 4 Things to Know Before Visiting

The basilica of Santa Croce in the homonymous square in Florence is one of the largest Franciscan churches and one of the greatest achievements of the Gothic in Italy and has the rank of minor basilica. Santa Croce is a prestigious symbol of Florence, the meeting place of the greatest artists, theologians, religious, writers, humanists, and politicians, who determined, in good times and bad, the identity of the late medieval and Renaissance city. It was also a place of reception for popes such

Casa Buonarroti is one of the most extraordinary Florentine museums. It was also a place to remember and celebrate the greatness of Michelangelo and at the same time a pompous and Baroque exhibition of the art collections of the family. ts collections include two of Michelangelo's earliest sculptures, the Madonna of the Stairs and the Battle of the Centaurs. A ten-thousand book library and so more.

The Bargello Museum is located in the impressive Palazzo del Bargello, a fortress with powerful embattlements which surround the austere facade. Begun in 1255, the building was the headquarters of the Capitano del Popolo and later of the Podestà and Council of Justice. In 1574, it became the living quarters for the Captain of Justice (chief of police) and was used as a prison.

The Palazzo Vecchio is the main symbol of the civil power for the city of Florence, whose original project is attributed to Arnolfo di Cambio. Construction on the solid fortress began in 1299 above the ruins of the destroyed Uberti Ghibelline towers, the testimony of the final victory of the Guelph faction. From 1865 to 1871 it housed the Chamber of Deputies of the Kingdom of Italy, and since 1872 it has been the town hall.

The Galileo Museum of Florence is located in Piazza dei Giudici, near the Uffizi Gallery, in the Palazzo Castellani, a building of ancient origins, known in Dante's time as Castello d'Altafronte. It preserves one of the most important collections of scientific instruments in the world, material testimony of the importance attributed to science and its protagonists by the exponents of the Medici dynasty and the Lorraine grand dukes.

Piazza Della Signoria is the central square of Florence, the seat of civil power and the heart of the city's social life. L-shaped, it is located in the central part of medieval Florence, south of the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. In the past, it has taken on various names, such as piazza Dei Priori or piazza del Granduca. It is the meeting place of Florentines as well as the numerous tourists, located near Palazzo Vecchio and Piazza del Duomo and gateway to Uffizi Gallery.