Santa Croce Neighbourhood Florence

Santa Croce and its “special” museums

Among its gems for art enthusiasts is the Horne Museum within Palazzo Corsi. Once the residence of Herbert P. Horne, a Renaissance scholar and art enthusiast, the museum showcases his extensive collection. Donated to the Italian state upon Horne's death, the museum presents a refined assortment of painting and sculpture masterpieces, along with a curated display of furniture, trinkets, and household items spanning the thirteenth to seventeenth centuries.

Santa Croce also boasts the Casa Buonarroti, a museum and monument celebrating Michelangelo's genius. This site, emotionally resonant after visiting Michelangelo's tomb, houses early masterpieces from his youth, including marble reliefs reflecting Donatello's influence. The museum's collection also features drawings and mementoes associated with the Buonarroti family. Throughout the year, Casa Buonarroti hosts temporary exhibitions, providing unique opportunities to delve into Michelangelo's legacy.

Aperitif and dinner in the Santa Croce neighbourhood Florence

Satisfying not only the appetite for art but also the craving for entertainment, Santa Croce unveils a vibrant culinary scene within its charming streets. The lively Via de' Benci, linking to the Santa Croce neighbourhood Florence, transforms into a nocturnal hub with venues like Moyo, Kikuya, Red Garter, and Soul Kitchen. These establishments, teeming with life in the evening, beckon those seeking an aperitif or a jovial post-dinner rendezvous with friends.

When it comes to dining, Santa Croce offers a diverse array of options. From the exquisite Guelfi e Ghibellini restaurant nestled within the luxurious Hotel Relais Santa Croce, boasting an exclusively seasonal à la carte menu, to the slightly more casual yet elegant Torcicoda Kitchen, located a stone's throw from the Basilica. The latter, featuring a pizzeria, tavern, and gourmet restaurant, presents a contemporary ambience for a relaxed evening. Its menu showcases quality ingredients prepared in an innovative manner, exemplifying just a glimpse of the culinary variety awaiting exploration in the captivating Santa Croce neighbourhood Florence. Numerous other enticing options await, ensuring a delightful culinary journey through the heart of Santa Croce.

The Tradition of Calcio Storico

Delving into the heritage of Piazza Santa Croce unveils a cherished Florentine tradition – Calcio Storico. This annual event, deeply ingrained in the neighbourhood's identity, unfolds in the very heart of Santa Croce's Square. Known as Calcio Storico Fiorentino, it's a captivating fusion of rugby, football, and wrestling. Held every June, the competition pits teams from the city's four historic districts against each other, culminating in the grand finale on June 24th, coinciding with the feast of Florence's patron saint, San Giovanni Battista.

Embarking on a leisurely stroll through the enchanting streets of the Santa Croce district promises a continuous and delightful discovery. For those fortunate enough to visit in June, the spectacle of Calcio Storico adds a vibrant and dynamic layer to the neighbourhood's charm. It's an invitation to witness a unique sporting event that seamlessly intertwines with the rich cultural tapestry of Santa Croce.

8 Attractions of Santa Croce Neighbourhood Florence to visit with Children

1. Piazza Santa Croce

The Santa Croce square is the majestic heart of the neighborhood. In ancient times this area of Florence was always very marshy because it was subject to the overflowing of the Arno and was located outside the city walls.

The Basilica of Santa Croce constitutes the first settlement in this area. The Franciscans decided to build a basilica with the financial help of the most important families in the area (Bardi, Peruzzi, Cerchi, Alberti, Baroncelli). As a reward, the friars gave the opportunity to bury the members of the most important families on the ground in the basilica. Subsequently the basilica was transformed into a real Florentine Pantheon, hosting the tombs of the most famous representatives of the city: Michelangelo, Galileo, Macchiavelli, Foscolo, Ghiberti etc...

2. Calcio Storico in Santa Croce Neighbourhood Florence

Every year the historic Florentine football is played in the square, a game that spread in the 1400s and was played between representatives of the four historic districts. In the square, the two circles that marked the "centerline", i.e. the line that divided the playing field in two, are still visible. In 1565, the two marble discs on the facade of the Palazzo dell'Antella and on the building opposite were walled up, which also had another function: the referee threw the ball against them to start the match. For this reason they were called ball beaters. The circle on the left side, a red and white circle, also had the purpose of indicating the size of the ball to be played with.

3. Flood Plates

The Santa Croce neighbourhood Florence has always been one of the neighbourhoods most affected by the Arno floods. For this reason, walking through its streets it is easier to come across plaques commemorating the most devastating floods. The oldest plaque is located next to the church of San Remigio, a Romanesque church dedicated to the bishop of Reims and built to host the French on pilgrimage to Rome. Next to this church, at the intersection with Via de' Neri, stands the plaque of the 1333 flood, with a finger indicating the height reached by the water. In this flood, think that both Ponte Vecchio and Ponte Santa Trinita collapsed. On the corner between via Ghibellina and via delle Casine stands another corner plaque very different from the others. 

4. The Roman Amphitheatre

The three streets bordering the square: via Torta, via de' Bentaccordi and Piazza de' Peruzzi, surround the ancient Roman amphitheatre. Walking along these streets you have the feeling of going around the Colosseum, but in our case the ancient Roman structures were incorporated into medieval houses and palaces, making the ancient architecture completely disappear.

5. The Roads of Trades

When Vasco Pratolini described Santa Croce in the novel “The Neighborhood”, he defined this area as a place of "Workers, and more specifically, carpenters, shoemakers, blacksmiths, mechanics, mosaicists." This characteristic, still alive in the 20th century, dates back to medieval Florentine life. In fact, the whole area was teeming with shops and funds dedicated to leather processing. A memory of these professions returns thanks to the names of the streets of the neighbourhood such as Corso dei Tintori, Via dei Vagellai (the vagelli were the boilers of the fabric dyers), Via dei Saponai.

6. San Pierino: The Church that no longer exists

In what is now Piazza Salvemini, the church of San Pier Maggiore stood until 1700, annexed to a female monastery. The church was destroyed because it was deemed unsafe and today only the arches of the portico in front of the church remain, two of which have been blocked. The Arco di San Pierino was once full of historic shops: the buzzurro (chestnuts and derivatives), the pizzicagnolo (cold cuts and cheeses), the fiaschetteria and the fry shop.

7. Dante’s Neighborhood: Hunting for his profile

Inside the Santa Croce neighbourhood Florence, there is also what is today called "Dante's neighbourhood", a small block in which the Alighieri tower house, the house of Beatrice's family and the Badia Fiorentina are thought to have taken place. Among these ancient medieval structures stands the current Dante House Museum.

In this small square, if you look carefully at the ground, you can find the profile of the famous Florentine poet carved in pietra serena. Well visible in winter when the rain highlights the figure, it is undoubtedly more difficult to spot it in summer with the hot temperatures. Bring a bottle of water with you and happy searching!

On the side of the church of the Badia Fiorentina, there is a very interesting plaque that prohibits the game of bullet, a game that was played by children and young people in the alleys of the city with marbles. We could partly consider it the ancestor of the game of bowls.