“celeste è questa corrispondenza d’amorosi sensi“
(Celestial is this correspondence of amorous senses)
The pristine marble facade of the Santa Croce church stands out against the blue sky. It will be a surprise to find yourself in front of such a majestic building, coming from the tangle of narrow and winding alleys beyond Piazza San Firenze. On the side of the church, Dante stands as a vigilant guardian for over a hundred years. Upon entering, we will encounter monuments dedicated to heroes, like Francesco Nori, who sacrificed his life to save Lorenzo the Magnificent on that bloody April 26, 1478; the remnants of scientists like Galileo; artists like Michelangelo; poets like Alfieri… We will immerse ourselves in Franciscan spirituality, imagining the church and the square in the 14th century and the centuries that followed, crowded with people listening to sermons. After the sermons, some churchmen, not from the common folk because the common people couldn’t access certain mysteries, would have immersed themselves in meditation while looking at Giotto’s frescoes. Someone else might have crossed the threshold of the Baroncelli Chapel, passing through the Annunciation of the Angel to Mary on either side of the entrance arch. On the opposite side, someone might have been suddenly enlightened by the depth of the Word, immediate, clear, and understandable, as reflected in the human suffering of the peasant Christ.
To learn more…
Piazza Santa Croce is much loved by the Florentines, if only for the fact that it was the scene of two events that marked the history of Florence. The first, historical football (calcio storico), whose first match was played right in Piazza Santa Croce on June 24, 1529. Florence was under siege. Imperial troops had surrounded it for months. They supported the Medici, who, exiled for several years, coveted taking power and asserting themselves as Dukes of the city. The Florentines were exhausted but did not want to show signs of giving in, quite the opposite. That’s why they decided to start a game of historical football in Piazza Santa Croce, a place that the soldiers could well observe from the surrounding hills. Even today, every June 24, the feast day of the patron saint, Saint John the Baptist, historical football is played in Piazza Santa Croce. The second event is the flood of November 4, 1966, which affected the entire city, of course, but Piazza Santa Croce, given its proximity to the river, was the first to be hit. The works preserved in the Basilica were severely damaged, foremost among them, Cimabue’s crucifix, which, restored with modern and innovative techniques, became a symbol of what happened. After observing the square and telling these and other stories, we can visit the Basilica, where the great figures of humanity rest: Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli, Alfieri. After taking a moment to remember these great figures, we will head towards the altar to approach the Bardi and Peruzzi Chapels, frescoed by Giotto. In the Sacristy, we will have the opportunity to closely observe the flood-damaged and restored Crucifix by Cimabue, and then head to the Cloisters, the Museum, and the Pazzi Chapel, never completed and perhaps for this reason, rich in mysterious charm.
