The 'Rive Gauche' - Florence Oltrarno / SANTO SPIRITO AND THE OLTRARNO

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Guided Tour of Santo Spirito and Oltrarno District of Florence

The church of Santo Spirito, which gave its name to an entire district of the Oltrarno, is the result of an ambitious project by Filippo Brunelleschi. The square in front of it, animated by a market and buzzing with people at any time of day or night, is one of the liveliest in Florence.

The visit of this fascinating district will make you discover some of the most important artistic and architectural masterpieces of Florence, in an area of the city that is even less touristy and more popular than the right bank of the Arno.

We will cross Ponte Vecchio following the route of the Vasari Corridor, which after crossing the Arno at Ponte Vecchio continues its path until reaching Palazzo Pitti. Once the residence of the Medici family and then the Lorraine and the Savoy family, when Florence was the capital of Italy, the majestic palace borders with its imposing rusticated facade an entire side of the square outside. From Piazza Pitti, through picturesque alleys, we will reach Piazza Santo Spirito to visit the basilica of Santo Spirito.

A jewel of Renaissance architecture

the church of Santo Spirito was the last great project by Filippo Brunelleschi. Although built for the most part after the death of Filippo Brunelleschi, whose project was largely remodelled, the architectural structure of the church preserves the elegant and austere rationality that distinguishes the style of the great Florentine architect.

Inside the church, in addition to the paintings that decorate the many semicircular chapels, we can admire a wooden Crucifix carved by a very young Michelangelo.