The Basilica di
Santa Croce is the principal Franciscan church in Florence, Italy, and a
minor basilica of the Roman Catholic Church. It is situated on the Piazza di
Santa Croce, about 800 metres south-east of the Duomo. The site, when first
chosen, was in marshland outside the city walls. It is the burial place of some
of the most illustrious Italians, such as Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli, Foscolo,
Gentile and Rossini, thus it is known also as the Temple of the Italian Glories. The Basilica is the largest
Franciscan church in the world. Its most notable features are its sixteen chapels,
many of them decorated with frescoes by Giotto and his pupils, and its tombs
and cenotaphs. Legend says that Santa Croce was founded by St Francis himself.
The construction of the current church, to replace an older building, was begun
on 12 May 1294, possibly by Arnolfo di Cambio, and paid for by some of the
city's wealthiest families. Source
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