Built by the Dominican order in the 13th century, the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella was constructed on the site Santa Maria delle Vigne oratory. Between 1246 and 1360, the lower part of the Basilica and Bell Tower were completed under the direction of Friar Talenti. Leone Alverti was commissioned in 1456 to complete the upper part of the current façade of the church.

Known for his work on a church in Rimini and a palace in Florence, Alberti gave the church its four white and green pilasters, a frieze with a circular window and a pediment. Alberti’s S-shaped scrolls were his greatest contribution, not only to this structure but also to the architecture of churches in Italy.

Massacio’s The Holy Trinity is a Renaissance masterpiece located in this church. Stained glass windows from the 14th century depicting Coronation of Mary and Madonna and Child beautify this church. The Filippo Strozzi, Gondi, Rucellai and the Spanish Chapel are a few chapels within the Basilica.

The building has a cloister adorned with paintings from the 14th century. Frescoes portraying stories from Genesis ornament the walls of the cloister. Eminent Florentine families contributed towards the art possessions with the Church and the funerary monuments, of which they are now, part of. The Holy Trinity comes to life just outside the Church.

Santa Trinita ("Holy Trinity") is a church in central Florence. It is the mother church of the Vallumbrosan Order of monks, founded in 1092 by a Florentine nobleman. Nearby is the Ponte Santa Trinita over the river Arno. The church is famous for its Sassetti Chapel, containing notable frescoes by Domenico Ghirlandaio, who are amongst 15th century painting's masterworks. The current church was constructed over 11th century churches in 1258–1280. Multiple reconstructions occurred thereafter. The Mannerist façade (1593–1594) was designed by Bernardo Buontalenti. The relief over the central door of the Trinity was sculpted by Pietro Bernini and Giovanni Battista Caccini. The 17th century wooden doors were carved to recall saints of the Vallumbrosan order. The Column of Justice in the Piazza outside, originates from the Baths of Caracalla, and was a gift to Cosimo I de' Medici by Pope Pius IV. It was used in 1565 to commemorate the Battle of Montemurlo.

Orsanmichele is a church in the Italian city of Florence. The building was constructed on the site of the kitchen garden of the monastery of San Michele, now gone. Located on the Via Calzaiuoli in Florence, the church was originally built as a grain market in 1337 by Francesco Talenti, Neri di Fioravante, and Benci di Cione. Between 1380 and 1404 it was converted into a church used as the chapel of Florence's powerful craft and trade guilds. Inside the church is Andrea Orcagna's bejeweled Gothic Tabernacle (1355-59) encasing a repainting by Bernardo Daddi's of an older icon of the 'Madonna and Child'. The facades held 14 architecturally designed external niches, which were filled from 1399 to around 1430. The three richest guilds opted to make their figures in the far more costly bronze, which cost approximately ten times the amount of the stone figures.

Commonly known as Florence Baptistery, Battistero di San Giovanni is located in Piazza del Duomo and Piazza di San Giovanni, diagonally opposite the Doumo cathedral. It was built in the seventh century over a Roman structure, believed to a temple dedicated to Mars. Symbolizing recreation, the baptistery is octagonal in shape and was decorated with green and white marble during its reconstruction in 1059.

The zebra striped pilaster at every corner the baptistery has today is the result of the Romanesque look given to it in the 11th century. Each side of the octagonal structure has three small windows on the top, below which lie three huge arches having a window each. Under each window are three smaller arches. The baptistery is, however, known for its three sets of bronze doors.

Designed by Andrea Pisano, the south doors portray scenes from the life of St. John and beautifully depict in bronze the eight virtues of Christianity. The doors on the north side took Lorenzo Ghiberti 21 years to complete and portray the life of Christ. He was then commissioned for the east door and he worked on it for 27 years. Dubbed by Michelangelo as the ‘Gates of Paradise’, the ten panels on the door depict “the Story of Joseph”.

The structure is witness to baptisms of members of Medici family, many Renaissance era personalities and almost all Catholic Florentines until the 19th century. Visiting this architectural beauty is therefore visiting the Catholic history of Florence.

Overlooking the city of Florence is the beautiful Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore. The dome of the Basilica is famously, the largest brick dome in the world.
The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, which roughly translates to the Saint Mary of the Flower, is dedicated to Madonna or The Virgin Mary. What stands today as the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore is the product of about 170 years of sheer hard work. The building was originally built to replace the withering structure of Saint Reparata which was founded in the early 5th century.
The new church was built in a Gothic style under architect Arnolfo di Cambio who commenced construction of the Cathedral in 1296. He was responsible for the construction of the three magnificent naves that spread under the dome. There were high hopes for the cathedral but all fell apart after the death of Arnolfo in 1302. The cathedral was left half built for nearly thirty years after which there were a series of renowned architects that modified and added their inputs to the design. However, it was only by 1420, when the true identity of the cathedral was to be formed. Architect Filippo Brunelleschi was commissioned to build the Dome of the cathedral, a project many architects had given up on.
The cathedral is many a times referred to as Brunelleschi's Dome just for the soaring presence of the domed cathedral that overlooks the city of Florence.

The Basilica di Santa Croce is one of the most famous and the largest Francescan churches in the world. Built between the 13th and 14th century, the church flaunts a rich Gothic style of architecture. Also known as the Temple of the Italian Glories, the Basilica is the burial place of Italy’s most recognized, such as – Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli, Foscolo and Rossini.
The construction of the present building started in 1294 to replace an older building. Taken care of by some of the wealthiest families in Florence the job of rebuilding the Basilica was given to Arnolfo di Cambio, an architect known for some of the best Gothic works in Florence. Besides being known as the resting place of some of the worlds most renowned, the church also stands as one of the most beautiful buildings in the city. Adorned with the works of some of the finest artisans, sculptures and painters, the Basilica is sure to grip you with its grandeur and presence. The Basilica di Santa Croce is the culmination of the efforts of many artists and contributors some of which include- Giorgio Vasari, Benedetto da Maiano, Antonio Canova, Donatello; frescoes by Giotto, Giovanni da Milano, Maso di Banco and many others.
Legend even has it that the Santa Croce was founded by Saint Frances himself!