Piazza della Santissima Annunziata in Florence
Basilica della Santissima Annunziata in Florence

   
 


The Basilica della Santissima Annunziata


 
 
One of the most beautiful piazzas in Florence, Piazza della Santissima Annunziata exemplifies the stylistic harmony of some of the greatest architects of the Renaissance. The church that gives the piazza its name, the Santissima Annunziata, lies behind the central portico of the piazza.
The Basilica della Santissima Annunziata (Basilica of the Most Holy Annunciation) is a Roman Catholic minor basilica in Florence and the mother church of the Servite order. It is located at the northeastern side of the Piazza Santissima Annunziata.

Churches in Firenze | The Basilica della Santissima Annunziata
 
 

Piazza della Santissima Annunziata


Piazza della Santissima Annunziata and Giambologna's last statue, of Ferdinando I de' Medici

The beautiful Piazza Annunziata is bordered on three sides by a portico or loggia. The portico on the east side is the oldest and belongs to Il Ospedale degli Innocenti or The Hospital of the Innocents. It is no ordinary portico, but one with a special position in the history of architecture. This was the first major work to be designed, in the new Renaissance style, by one of the greatest architects of the age, Filippo Brunelleschi.

The area of the piazza was chosen in 1250 as a space for a little church. At the time the piazza lay in open countryside outside the walls of Florence, in an area called Cafaggio. The church houses the Miraculous Annunciation, a masterpiece that according to legend was painted by an angel. The church became the destination of pilgrimages and processions and it soon became necessary to expand the church and the piazza, in addition to connecting it to the city center.

Florence | Florence Piazzas | Le piazze di Firenze


 


The Hospital of the Innocents, façade by Filippo Brunelleschi

 
 




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Houses in Tuscany | Podere Santa Pia

 
   
   
Lucca, Anfiteatro
 
Florence, Orsanmichele
 
Florence, Duomo Santa Maria del Fiore
         
Podere Santa Pia
Podere Santa Pia, garden view

Podere Santa Pia, terrace view, up to the sea
   
Certosa del Galluzzo (Firenze)
Villa Gamberaia at Settignano
Villa Arceno gardens
         

This article incorporates material from the Wikipedia article Santissima Annunziata, Florence published under the GNU Free Documentation License, and m edia related to Santissima Annunziata (Firenze) at Wikimedia Commons.