Basilica of Santa Croce, Florence

Basilica di Santa Croce
Basilica of the Holy Cross
Basilica di Santa Croce in Florence
Basilica di Santa Croce Location in Florence
43°46′6.3″N 11°15′45.8″E / 43.768417°N 11.262722°E / 43.768417; 11.262722Coordinates: 43°46′6.3″N 11°15′45.8″E / 43.768417°N 11.262722°E / 43.768417; 11.262722
Location	Florence, Tuscany
Country	Italy
Denomination	Roman Catholic
History
Consecrated	1443
Architecture
Status	Minor basilica
Architectural type	Church
Style	Gothic, Renaissance, Gothic Revival
Groundbreaking	1294-1295
Completed	1385
Administration
Archdiocese	Archdiocese of Florence

The Basilica di Santa Croce (Basilica of the Holy Cross) is the principal Franciscan church in Florence, Italy, and a minor basilica of the Roman Catholic Church. It is situated on the Piazza di Santa Croce, about 800 metres south-east of the Duomo. The site, when first chosen, was in marshland outside the city walls. It is the burial place of some of the most illustrious Italians, such as Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli, the poet Foscolo, the philosopher Gentile and the composer Rossini, thus it is known also as the Temple of the Italian Glories (Tempio dell'Itale Glorie).

The Basilica is the largest Franciscan church in the world. Its most notable features are its sixteen chapels, many of them decorated with frescoes by Giotto and his pupils, and its tombs and cenotaphs. Legend says that Santa Croce was founded by St Francis himself. The construction of the current church, to replace an older building, was begun on 12 May 1294, possibly by Arnolfo di Cambio, and paid for by some of the city's wealthiest families. It was consecrated in 1442 by Pope Eugene IV. The building's design reflects the austere approach of the Franciscans. The floorplan is an Egyptian or Tau cross (a symbol of St Francis), 115 metres in length with a nave and two aisles separated by lines of octagonal columns. To the south of the church was a convent, some of whose buildings remain.