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 13th 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!
