Piazza Santa Croce

Piazza Santa Croce is one of the main squares in the central neighborhood of Florence, in the region of Tuscany, Italy. It is close to another famous square called Piazza della Signoria and the National Central Library. The square gets its name from the Basilica of Santa Croce, a big and important church that looks over the area. Many people visit this square to enjoy its history and beautiful surroundings.

Main buildings

Basilica of Santa Croce

The basilica is famous for its sixteen chapels, many with beautiful paintings by Giotto and his students. It also holds important tombs and cenotaphs. Many famous Italians are buried here, such as Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Enrico Fermi, and Galileo, which is why it is sometimes called the Temple of the Italian Glories.

Palazzo Cocchi-Serristori

Across from the basilica stands the Palazzo Cocchi-Serristori, rebuilt in the late 1400s by Giuliano da Sangallo, who worked for Lorenzo de' Medici. In front of this building is a fountain from the 1800s.

Palazzo dell'Antella

On the south side of the square is the Palazzo dell'Antella, a long building with a decorated front created in the early 1600s by Giovanni da San Giovanni.

Sculptures

In front of the basilica is a marble statue of Dante, sculpted by Enrico Pazzi, called the Monument to Dante.

Events

Every year in June, a special field of sand is set up for the Calcio Fiorentino, a historic football game. This game can get rough, but players are usually okay.

In 2006, the famous actor Roberto Benigni read from Dante’s book, the Divine Comedy, near a statue of Dante.