Santa Maria del Carmine

Florence, has many wonderful chruches. The Church of Santa Maria del Carmine is one of the domed churches on the Oltrarno side of the city. The church is well-known for its Brancacci chapel, with important frescos by the artist Masaccio. Work began on the chapel in 1386 by the artist Masolino da Panicale, who was the artist actually commissioned to paint the chapel. It was his young apprentice Masaccio, who would eventually go on to make quite a name for himself regarding Renaissance artwork, who actually did most of the work. Famous Florentine painter Filippino Lippi also worked on some of the frescos here. These paintings were so important that Michelangelo himself came to this church as a young boy, as did many artists of the time, to study Masaccio’s use of perspective and light. Particular paintings from this fresco, such as The Tribute Money, are frequently studied in general art history classes.

The church itself has a long and interesting history. The church was built in 1268 as part of a convent of the Carmelite order. The convent is still standing today. The original Romanesque-Gothic façade has fallen off, leaving a rough exterior. The complex itself was later done by Brunelleschi in an enlargement of the complex. There is also the Corsini chapel in the church, a chapel that was built by one of Florence’s richest family of the 17th and 18th centuries. The complex has suffered from a number of disasters, including huge fires and devastating floods, but thanks to some good restorations and a little bit of luck much of the great artwork here has been preserved. Entrance to the church is only 4€ and is well worth the visit.

The church is in the Oltrarno part of Florence, which is the more residential section of Florence a bit further from the hustle and bustle of the center of the city around Piazza della Repubblica and the Duomo. The Oltrarno is full of quirky shops, art galleries and artisans workshops. Strolling around the streets of the Oltrarno and poking into random shops is a fun afternoon activity. There are also lots of great places to eat around the church. Trattoria del Carmine, in the Piazza del Carmine (at number 18 red), is an authentic Italian dining experience serving delicious traditional food. The restaurant is an excellent place to try bistecca alla Fiorentina, as it is well-prepared here and relatively modestly priced.

The Basilica di Santa Maria del Santo Spirito

The Basilica of Santa Maria del Santo Spirito, Saint Mary of Holy spirit, is one the main churches in Florence, and the last church designed by Filippo Brunelleschi.  The church is often referred to as Santo Spirito, and is located in the Oltrarno quarter, facing Piazza Santo Spirito.  The building on the interior is one of the pre-eminent examples of Renaissance architecture, and was constructed over the pre-existing ruins of an Augustinian convent from the 13^th century, destroyed by a fire.  Brunelleschi began designs for the new building as early as 1428, and after his death in 1446, the works were carried on by his followers Antonio Manetti, Giovanni da Gaiole, and Salvi d’Andrea.  Salvi d’Andrea was also responsible for the construction of the cupola.  Unlike the Basilica di San Lorenzo, where Brunelleschi’s ideas were thwarted, in Santo Spirito, his ideas were carried through with a degree of loyalty.  

The façade that Brunelleschi had planned was never built and left blank.  Today, the church’s most notable feature is the simple façade, now an emblem for the Oltrarno district.  In 1489, Simone del Pollaiolo and Giuliano da Sangallo designed an octagonal sacristy, known as Il Cronaca, built to the left of the building.  

The church has 38 side chapels, which contain a noteworthy amount of artwork.  The most worth mentioning is the Bini-Capponi Chapel, which houses the St. Monica Establishing the Rule of the Augustinian Nuns painting by Francesco Botticini.  In the chapels of the transept are frescoes by Filippino Lippi.  Also in the transept is a choir from which Frescobaldi Marquisses could participate to the rites without being seen by the crowd.  

When Michelangelo Buonarroti was 17 years old, he conducted anatomical studies on the corpses coming from the convent’s hospital.  In exchange, he sculpted a wooden crucifix which was placed over the high altar.  Today, the crucifix is in the octagonal sacristy that can be reached from the left, west aisle of the church.  The convent had two cloisters, called Chiostro dei Morti  and Choistro Grande (‘Cloister of the Dead’ and ‘Grand Cloister’).  The first takes its name from the great number of tombstones decorating its walls, and was built around 1600.  The latter was constructed in 1564-1569 by Bartolomeo Ammannati in a classicistic style. 

Santo Spirito is located directly in front of Piazza Santo Spirito.  The square was created in the 13th century for the main purpose of serving the crowds who attended the prayers of the Augustinians.  The square has a statue of Cosimo Ridolfi, founder of the L'Georgofili Academy, and a fountain dating back to 1812.  The square is home to a flea market on the second Sunday of every month, and a small daily market, with vendors selling fruit, vegetables, clothes, and flowers.  The square also has many restaurants and caffe's, and the stairs of the church of Santo Spirito is home to many eclectic Florentine's at night.  Each night in the Piazza, people sit, talk, drink wine and beer, and play numerous variations of instruments.  We recommend joining the crowds for an authentic Italian experience! 

Our Recommendations

Most of our recommendations have already been mentioned previously in the blog.  Therefore, we will list what establishments that we think are worth visiting, and take a look at the previous entries for details!

• Caffe Ricchi
• The 'Gusta Empire' - Gusta Pizza, Gusta Panino, and Gusta Osteria
• Mama's Bakery
• Trattoria Casalinga
• Osteria: Il Cantinone
• Osteria Santo Spirito - check out their cheesy gnocchi!