Basilica of Santa Croce

You have reached the end of the route, one of the largest squares in Florence. At the far end is the Basilica of Santa Croce, the Franciscan church, begun in the late 13th century and traditionally credited to Arnolfo di Cambio.

1The temple of Italian glories

Inside lie some of the greatest names in Italian history. Michelangelo, who died in Rome in 1564, was smuggled back to Florence by his nephew Leonardo, as he had wished; his tomb was designed by Vasari. Galileo Galilei, condemned by the Inquisition, was not given a monument until 1737. Machiavelli and Rossini are here too. Ugo Foscolo sang of these tombs in his poem «Dei Sepolcri» (1807), and ever since the church has been called the temple of Italian glories.

Dante has a grand monument here from 1829, but the tomb is empty: the poet died in exile in Ravenna, and Ravenna has never given back his remains.

2A 19th-century facade

The facade you see is Gothic Revival, by Niccolò Matas, built between 1853 and 1863 thanks to a donation from the Englishman Francis Sloane. The six-pointed star at the top has sparked many theories; it is often said that Matas was of Jewish origin, but this has not been proven. The statue of Dante, by Enrico Pazzi, was unveiled in 1865 for the 600th anniversary of his birth.

Every June this square hosts the calcio storico, a rough Renaissance football game played in period costume. And in the surrounding streets, plaques on the walls show how high the water rose in the 1966 flood.

3What to look for

• The statue of Dante to the left of the steps.
• The star on the facade, in the central pediment.
• The 1966 flood plaques on nearby corners.