Florence's Churches: Santa Croce, Santo Spirito, San Lorenzo and More

Florence's churches hold as much great art as its museums, often in the places it was made for. A handful are essential; most can be seen in under an hour each.

Santa Croce

The largest Franciscan church in Florence and its pantheon: the tombs of Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli and Rossini are here, with a monument to Dante. Don't miss Giotto's frescoes in the Bardi and Peruzzi chapels to the right of the altar, and Brunelleschi's Pazzi Chapel in the cloister, a small, perfectly proportioned room that sums up early Renaissance architecture.

Entry is paid and includes the cloisters and museum. Allow ninety minutes. Behind the church, the Scuola del Cuoio leather school occupies part of the old convent.

Santa Maria Novella

The Dominican church by the station, with a marble facade completed by Leon Battista Alberti. Inside: Masaccio's Trinity, an early lesson in perspective painted on a side wall; Giotto's painted crucifix hanging in the nave; and Domenico Ghirlandaio's fresco cycle in the Tornabuoni chapel behind the altar, full of portraits of Florentines in contemporary dress. The cloisters, including the frescoed Green Cloister and Spanish Chapel, are part of the paid visit.

Usually calmer than Santa Croce, and convenient if you are arriving or leaving by train.

San Lorenzo

The Medici family church, near the market. Brunelleschi designed the interior; the Old Sacristy is his too. The facade was never finished, which is why the front is bare brick. Separate entrances, with separate tickets, lead to the Laurentian Library (Michelangelo's staircase and reading room, with limited opening) and the Medici Chapels, with Michelangelo's New Sacristy.

Santo Spirito

Brunelleschi's last church, on the Oltrarno square of the same name. The plain facade hides an interior of grey stone columns that is as calm as any space in the city. A wooden crucifix attributed to the young Michelangelo is in the sacristy. Opening hours are limited and the church is closed to visitors during services.

San Miniato al Monte

A Romanesque church on the hill above Piazzale Michelangelo, with a green-and-white marble facade and a golden mosaic. Inside, the raised choir sits above the crypt with its forest of columns. The view from the steps rivals the piazzale's, with a fraction of the crowd. Olivetan monks live here; at certain times you can hear them sing. Check the official site for current times.

Others worth a stop

• Orsanmichele: a former grain market turned church, with niches of statues by Donatello, Ghiberti and Verrocchio commissioned by the city's guilds. The originals are kept inside in a museum with limited opening.
• Santissima Annunziata: on the square with Brunelleschi's foundling hospital, with an atrium of frescoes by Andrea del Sarto and others.
• Santa Maria del Carmine: the Brancacci Chapel with Masaccio's frescoes. Timed, booked visits.
• Badia Fiorentina: an abbey church opposite the Bargello with a Filippino Lippi altarpiece.

Practical notes

• Dress: shoulders and knees covered. A light scarf solves most problems in summer.
• Timing: churches close for services and often in the early afternoon. Paid churches have fixed visiting hours; check them.
• Quiet: these are working churches. Speak softly and do not photograph people at prayer.
• Order: Santa Maria Novella pairs naturally with arriving by train; San Lorenzo with the market; Santa Croce with an evening in that neighbourhood; San Miniato with sunset at Piazzale Michelangelo.