I wanted to stop by Santa Croce to take a photo of Galileo's tomb for an astronomer friend, and it turned out to be my favorite site in Florence! It is a parade of Italian history, all the way up to Marconi. It also has examples of a wide range of artistic styles. The atmosphere is much more relaxed than other sites...almost cozy. Don't miss the Pazzi chapel, the peaceful courtyard, and the displays about the recovery efforts from the flood of 1966.

The title of this location is incorrect: Santa Croce is not a Cathedral, but a church. A cathedral is the seat of the bishop, which in florence is the Duomo.

This large Franciscan _church_ was begun in the 1290's, when many buildings were going up around Florence. Many people come here to see the tomb monuments placed in the side aisles from the sixteenth century onwards, but the real jewels are the early 14th-century frescoes located in 4 chapels. There are two chapels by Giotto (the Bardi and Peruzzi chapels), and two interesting other chapels - the Baroncelli chapel which has an altarpiece by giotto and frescoes by a follower of his, and the Rinuncini chapel, hidden away in the sacristy, from the 1360's.

Follow the way through to the pazzi chapel, which was the franciscans' meeting room in the 15th century, by the architect Brunelleschi. Also don't miss the small museum and the fresco of the tree of life by Andrea di Bonaiuto.