Of all the Florentine sites I visited, Santa Maria Novella was my favorite.
A couple takes wedding photos in front of the basilica
Santa Maria Novella was built in the 1200s by the Dominicans, who ran it until the friars lost their independence in the mid 1500s, and none other than Cosimo de Medici acquired patronage of the church complex. It was at that time that Medici hired Vasari to do a remodel to make the church look more contemporary according to the precepts of the Council of Trent.
Tornabuoni chapel
Botticelli nativity scene
Rainbow thru stained glass
What I loved about my visit in addition to the Gothic design is that the Dominicans have taken back the buildings, and once a month, they display the original frescos alongside the Vasari additions.
The Florentine paintings open on hinged frames to reveal the frescoes underneath
I also found so much beauty in the exterior cloisters, which are also original to the Dominicans
Spanish chapel
Finally, the original Dominicans perfected various healing tinctures and perfumes on this spot, and they are still making them today. If you stand in just the right place in the cloister, you can smell a heavenly scent. Truly a feast for the senses.
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