The basilica of Santa Trinita
A treasure trove of history and sacred art in the historic centre of Florence
The historic centre of Florence is dotted with palazzi, artworks, and sacred buildings of high historical and artistic value. Every corner is an opportunity to be amazed by the city's heritage, that finds one of its most important expressions in the basilica of Santa Trinita.
Raised to the rank of minor basilica in the 13th century - an honorary title conferred by the pope on churches of particular importance - it's one of the first religious buildings in the Gothic style in Florence. It stands in the square of the same name that features many stores by well-known brands, via de 'Tornabuoni, in the historic heart of the city.
The existence of the church is documented since the 11th century. Construction was commissioned by the Vallombrosan monks and was built in the Romanesque style, that was as sober and austere as the religious order required. Some traces of the first construction are still visible on the counter-façade and in the crypt.
The Gothic expansion and renovation of the basilica began in the mid-13th century, presumably based on a project by the Tuscan architect Neri di Fioravante or, less likely, by Nicola Pisano.
Over the centuries, the basilica of Santa Trinita was embellished and enriched with sacred works of art such as the Majesty of Cimabue, now preserved in the Uffizi, that was covered with frescoes and was worked on by Buontalenti, a multifaceted Florentine artist and architect, in the renovation of its facade, presbytery and convent. Subsequently, 19th-century renovations re-established the Gothic elements, but on the occasion of the restorations that took place following the catastrophic flood of 1966, an event that greatly damaged the basilica, the false 19th-century ones were removed.
Today, it's a religious building of high artistic value, the custodian of works such as the frescoes by Domenico Ghirlandaio in the Sassetti Chapel and the painting Sermon of San Giovanni Battista, by the Florentine painter Francesco Curradi.
Accessibility information: feelflorence.it
