Basilica of Santo Spirito – Florence

The first records linked to the Basilica date back to 1269, when a community of Augustinian friars settled in Florence and began to build a church in the Oltrarno area, on the site of a previous oratory dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the Holy Spirit and all the Saints, built just over a decade earlier thanks to the donation of two noblemen. The new place of worship, with the adjoining convent, takes the name of “Santo Spirito (“Holy Spirit”), preserving only part of the original dedication.

At the beginning of the fourteenth century, the complex underwent expansion following the urban settlement of the area, when also the square in front of it was realized to accommodate the multitude of faithful who came and listened to the sermons of the friars.

In the first half of the fifteenth century the Basilica was rebuilt in Renaissance style, following the project of the great Filippo Brunelleschi, even though the works were completed by his students after his death. The structure underwent many other changes and additions during the following centuries; under the Napoleonic government, many artworks were also requisitioned and will never return to Florence.

However, the church still preserves many masterpieces still on site, such as the Crucifix sculpted by Michelangelo, the Altarpiece executed by Filippo Lippi, paintings of Allori and the stained glass window depicting the Pentecost scene designed by Perugino.