[2025 Florence Attraction] Travel Guide for Basilica of Santa Maria Novella (Updated Feb)

Basilica di Santa Maria Novella was the first church in Florence. It was also the base of the Dominican Order. The wonderful fresco inside, "The Holy Trinity", was created by Masaccio with an analogy technique. This ancient church was also under the protection of the House of Medici.

#myitinerary Florence, one of Italy's most beloved cities is a favourite stop of mine whenever I'm headed to Tuscany. It makes for an excellent weekend stay. I do a lot of walking and it perfectly suits the size of Florence. This is also the reason why i prefer staying in the city center. Along with a great access to everything, it's also walkable distances. While the city is very old, in the architecture and cultural heritage sense. It must be noted that it is also quite modern with some very high end luxury stores in the vicinity. Outside of tourist areas you'd find these things alleys that have their own charm. You've got numerous museums, shopping, walks, gelatto to eat everywhere and plenty of general architecture gazing. Couple that with some great dining options, and you're sorted for the nights. Now, Florence can get very touristy which is why i recommend avoiding peak season. And by avoiding peak season you're likely to avoid a lot of tourists too. The Galleria dell'Accademia is the other must see for most people. Here, you'll find one of the most famous sculptures in mankind's history, The David. For both this and the Uffizi, I'd pretty much insist you buy tickets online ahead of time. Ticketing can be complete zoos here, with such high demand. Do yourself a favor and buy them ahead of time to skip some of the lines. Further, there is another small museum dedicated to da Vinci and his works. Here's my itinerary that packs a punch for 2 days in Florence:- DAY - 1 Morning Accademia — with a reservation Museum of San Marco (art by Fra Angelico) Afternoon Explore Mercato Centrale and have lunch nearby Tour Church of Santa Maria Novella for its art Stroll/relax or tour Palazzo Vecchio Evening Stroll through the heart of the old town. Dinner in the old center DAY 2 Morning Bargello Duomo Museum, statues by Donatello and Michelangelo. Afternoon Lunch, then wander and shop Take a walking tour Uffizi — with a reservation Evening Cross Ponte Vecchio for dinner and take my guidebooks' self-guided Oltrarno Walk. #myitinerary #Italy #holidays #100waysoftravel

There are so many churches here, and many are named after Santa Maria, remember the one opposite the train station, the name of the station, SMN (Santa Maria Novella), comes from it. How to distinguish the class of the churches? The main altar painting of this church was done by Ghirlandaio, whose apprentice was Michelangelo. The ceiling painting of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore was done by Vasari, whose master was Michelangelo. They are separated by two generations. Florence also has the Church of Santa Croce, whose frescoes were mostly painted by Giotto and his students. This church predates the previous two by a dynasty, the Yuan and the Ming. Now back to the New Cathedral of Santa Maria, it is rich in content, including all the masterpieces from the mid-Renaissance period. Unfortunately, the Trinity by Masaccio, the treasure of the museum, cannot be seen, but Ghirlandaio's main altar is open for viewing. Then, the entire chapel painted by Filippino Lippi next to it is surprisingly good. Continue out of the main cathedral to the old church area's Spanish Chapel, one word, 'Wow!'

The Cathedral of Santa Maria Novella is located opposite Florence's largest railway station, so the train station is also named New Virgin Mary Train Station S.M.Novella. The church was called the "new" Virgin Mary because it was built on the foundation of the 9th century Madonna Prayer. This church is the first Pontifical church in Florence. It is different from the Basilica of the Holy Cross, which is the main church of the Dominican sect. The church was refurbished and expanded by members of the Dominican Church on the basis of the original Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1221 and designed by the famous genius architect Leon Battista Alberti during the Renaissance. The faade with white marble, this absolutely symmetrical appearance and the design of the rounded colorful windows above have influenced the architectural style of the later Baroque and Gothic churches. Green and white stripes often used in wall decoration aristocratic tombs. The same design is also found in the wall adjacent to the cemetery. This church, along with the adjoining monastery, generously donated to the most important family in Florence, and has a collection of priceless art treasures, especially known for the Gothic and early Renaissance masters' murals.