Santa Maria Novella

Santa Maria Novella is the Dominican church of Florence, begun in the mid-13th century and completed and remodelled over subsequent centuries. Its façade was finished in the 15th century to a design by Leon Battista Alberti.

Interior spaces include a long nave lined with side chapels containing fresco cycles and altarpieces from the 14th and 15th centuries. Key works include Masaccio’s early Renaissance fresco showing the Holy Trinity and frescoes by Domenico Ghirlandaio in the Tornabuoni Chapel.

Constructed by the Dominican order beginning in the 1200s, the complex was progressively enlarged and redecorated during the Renaissance, with major architectural and artistic commissions through the 15th century. It has remained an active church and repository of significant artworks.

Located a short walk from Florence’s Santa Maria Novella station and the historic center, the church sits on the Via del Magnifico axis between principal city landmarks.

• Façade by Alberti: The church's façade was completed to a design by Leon Battista Alberti in the 15th century and is a frequently cited example of Renaissance architectural theory applied to a medieval façade.
• Notable artwork: Masaccio's Holy Trinity (1427) is a well-known fresco located in the left transept and is an early example of linear perspective in painting.

What to See #

• Nave and chapels: The nave and façade combine Gothic and early Renaissance elements; the painted and sculpted chapels inside contain major fresco cycles and altarpieces from the 14th and 15th centuries.
• Cloisters and chapels: The cloisters and side chapels preserve important frescoes and tombs that reflect the church's Dominican patronage and Renaissance patronage networks.