One of our stops in our tour of Florence was the Santa Croce, an imposing basilica that flanks the piazza of the same name. I vaguely remember seeing this basilica in my previous visit to Florence, but didn’t really have any solid memories of it.

The sky was bright and vivid and made the basilica stand out even more. Love that creepy dude statue in front. More photos of him in another post.

Inside, the walls were lined with sarcophagi and memorial things for artists, political figures, church people, etc.

This sarcophagus in particular was of note: it’s Michelangelo!

Okay, so the scaffolding obscures the view and is really annoying, but ah, well.

In the main hall, more scaffolding and restoration work being done.

On the floor, several of this “bas relief” type of tomb stones were roped off or could even be walked over (gives new meaning to the term, “over my dead body”), which was weird because the stone was slippery and one misstep lands your toe in a dead guy’s stone neck, or crotch, or eye. Eerily they are portrayed not alive, but as they lie in their coffin.

Some more fascinating marbles—i wonder why even the mourning are part of the sarcophagus… or is it in Hapsburg fashion that they keep mistresses near even in death? hahaha

Cool stone balcony thing

More mourning statues

This one’s not really mourning, just chilling out over a cold one.

Kinda looks like a “his and hers”, huh

More bas relief type tombs

Finally, areas of the basilica which weren’t so cold and stony, but featuring painted vaulted ceilings and stained glass.

this room was a chapel or something with gorgeous ornate wood panels and painted details

View from a walkway exiting the basilica shows a monastery or school of sorts. So creepily picturesque!

It’s a leather school. Coolio.

Outside, looking back at the dramatically-backdropped basilica

And a grainy but cute panoramic shot.

Photos: Canon 450D + 10-22mm

Sweep Panorama: Sony W380