Piazza Santa Croce

Piazza Santa Croce is one of the main squares of the historic center of Florence, overlooked by the namesake Basilica. When the Franciscans arrived in Florence, in 1226-1228, chose this isolated area for their settlement, and the Square was born to contain the crowds of worshipers who listened to the sermons in the majestic church. In the Renaissance became the ideal place for jousting, parties, shows and popular competitions, like the Historical Football, which still is held in June. The Square was surrounded by barriers in wood, which delimited permanently the ​​football area; until the eighteenth century, under Peter Leopold, they were removed in favor of pillars and benches in stone that can still be seen today. The south and west sides are occupied by some noble palaces; the north side presents a building curtain less important, but still legible, at least in part, in its Medieval origin, with narrow buildings and developed especially in height. The Basilica of Santa Croce stands out unmistakably on the east side of the Square, with its neo-Gothic facade built in the nineteenth century. Today, Santa Croce is famous not only for the art kit, but also to be the burial place of many personalities and Italian artists, including Michelangelo, Galileo and Machiavelli. Dante would have been buried here, but the city of Ravenna, the last destination of exile, has always firmly opposed. His statue on the left of the facade dates back to 1865.