If I were to name the most Florentine square of all, it would undoubtedly be Piazza SS. Annunziata. Adorned with the Brunelleschi-style loggia, expanded over the centuries on three sides of the square for harmony and completeness, it features the Basilica dedicated to the Virgin—still the heart of Florentine spirituality. The square is also home to the Hospital of the Innocents, a refuge for children families couldn’t keep, and the elevated corridor linking the Palazzo della Crocetta, now the Archaeological Museum, to the Basilica. This aerial passage allowed the young Medici princess, “misshapen in her limbs,” to attend Mass without being seen.
Through the ages, how many people have passed through here? How many voices still seem to echo? The square has witnessed countless stories, traditions, and legends. Today, it remains one of the most lively spots for locals, with its steps serving as a gathering place for a chat during breaks between classes, given the proximity to the Florentine University.
For those seeking a more comfortable seat and a breathtaking view, ascending to the fifth floor of the Hospital of the Innocents is delightful. Here, you can enjoy a coffee where nurses once hung children’s laundry to dry. The terrace and the cafeteria do not require a ticket for the Museum of the Innocents, which narrates the institution’s history and houses a fantastic art collection. A visit to this institute is highly recommended—it will leave you more enlightened and undoubtedly with eyes filled with beauty.
To Learn More…
Starting from the square, whose story we will unfold by examining all the facing buildings, we will enter the Basilica. Between religious services, we’ll linger at the most notable altars. Before entering the Basilica, though, we will cross a space of transition from the city’s noise to the devout silence of the church: the Voti Cloister. Here, ex-votos—gifts that faithful offered to the Virgin—were once stored. The cloister is entirely frescoed, with artists at the beginning of their careers. A 23-year-old Andrea del Sarto, in 1510, undertook this fresco cycle assigned by the Servite friars. He, eager to earn and make a name for himself, divided his time between this work and another nearby for the Ingesuati of San Giovanni Battista (known as the Scalzo Cloister, another recommended visit). The cloister’s frescoes were supposed to be ready by 1513 when Pope Leo X would visit the city. Fearing he wouldn’t make it, Andrea persuaded the friars to involve a colleague, Franciabigio, and two young apprentices, the 17-year-olds Rosso and Pontormo. The friars consented, giving life to one of the most remarkable pictorial cycles of the early 16th century, where three great artists are side by side.
Entering the Basilica, before reaching the Large Cloister or Cloister of the Dead, housing a unique fresco by Andrea del Sarto, we will pause in front of the miraculous painting of the Annunciation Virgin. The face seems to have painted itself. We’ll also explore Andrea del Castagno’s Trinity and the tomb of Baccio Bandinelli, a follower of Michelangelo and the author of Hercules and Cacus in Piazza della Signoria.
You can choose to stop here, or for those interested, entering the Museum of the Innocents is possible. Here, you’ll trace the history of this institution created to care for the children of families unable to raise them. It’s moving to see the recognition marks parents left with their abandoned children, hoping to reclaim them after years when they wouldn’t be recognized anymore. It’s beautiful to linger in front of Ghirlandaio’s altarpiece, commissioned for the Hospital Church, one of the first works in Florence using oil painting.
