Basilica of Santa Maria Novella

About this place

Santa Maria Novella is a Dominican church in Florence. It is considered the most important Romano-Gothic church in Tuscany and is a World Heritage Site. Its construction started in 1290 and it took almost 200 years to be completed. It was consecrated in 1420. Its distinctive façade has geometric patterns made from white and green marble. The Florentine Renaissance architect Leon Battista designed the upper part of the façade, finished in 1470. Its two most famous artworks are Giotto's Crucifix, that changed the way that Christ had been represented in the cross for two centuries, and Massacio's Holy Trinity, the first monumental Renaissance painting to utilize linear perspective. As you explore, compare the building itself with its decoration and later additions. Differences in materials, forms and imagery can reveal successive periods of patronage, making the visit a way to understand how religious places evolved over time.