One of Florence’s most overlooked churches, the Church of San Salvatore in Ognissanti, is filled with masterpieces of art, including a fresco by Botticelli and Giotto’s sublime crucifix.
Botticelli is buried here, alongside some other illustrious figures. The Vespucci family – that of explorer Amerigo Vespucci – and Carolina Buonaparte, Napoleon’s sister, have beautifully decorated chapels in this church.
Located in Florence’s historic centre, but still off the main tourist trail, Ognissanti Church is well worth a visit. It offers a chance to enjoy beautiful art in tranquillity.
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Ognissanti Church, the most overlooked Church in Florence
Ognissanti Church escaped my radar for many years, as it does for many who visit Florence who queue to see the Cathedral and other famous churches in Florence. But in a city filled to the brim with tourists eager to get their fill of beauty, there’s still a chance to enjoy wondrous artworks in peace.
Anyone who loves art, and wish to learn about a significant piece of Florentine history, needs to add this church to their itinerary. A visit will likely take an hour to an hour and a half.
HIGHLIGHTS: Renaissance frescoes by Botticelli and Ghirlandaio, crucifix by Giotto, main altar with commesso fiorentino (Florentine mosaic), frescoes by Taddeo Gaddi in the Sacristy, and the burial places of Botticelli and Carolina Bonaparte.
WHERE IS OGNISSANTI CHURCH? It’s located in the square of the same name, overlooking the Arno River, a fifteen to twenty minute walk from the Ponte Vecchio and the Cathedral.
Ognissanti Church, Artistic Highlights
From the outside, Ognissanti Church looks like a relatively small edifice. But when you enter you’ll be as surprised by its size and grandeur as I was. Grab one of the free leaflets at the entrance for an overview of the church’s history. I was welcomed by a chatty and helpful custodian, who pointed me directly to the Vespucci Chapel on the right side.
Vespucci Chapel
The Vespucci Chapel is decorated with a beautiful fresco by Ghirlandaio, ‘Madonna della Misericordia’. The Virgin covers members of the Vespucci family with her cloak, all of them kneeling as if to ask for protection, probably a result of their dangerous professions. Some of them were in fact sea merchants who traded with the East (wool, silk and spices). Below, there’s a moving ‘Deposition’ by the same artist.
Many members of the Vespucci family are buried right here, including the grandfather of Amerigo, the navigator who put America on the map. Simonetta Vespucci, the muse who is believed to have inspired Botticelli’s Venus, is said to be buried here too, but there’s no real proof, as her tomb no longer exists.
Who were the Vespucci family? This was the church of the Vespucci family, who lived nearby. They had been a wealthy and influential family in Florence, since the 14th century. Friends with the Medici and important patrons of the arts (Botticelli and Ghirlandaio in particular), they gave a key contribution to humanistic culture. Amerigo Vespucci, the navigator who reached the coasts of America in the late fifteenth century (and gave his name to it!), is the most famous member.
Famous Frescoes by Botticelli and Ghirlandaio
You can find a Botticelli fresco here. It depicts Saint Augustine (1480) portrayed like a Renaissance man. Surrounded by books and geometric calculations, he’s studying the law of the universe. I love the vivid colours and details -the jewels in his mitre, the bishop’s hat – and the passion shown on the saint’s face.
On the opposite side there’s a similar fresco by Ghirlandaio that shows Saint Gerolamo in a more traditional, and definitely less expressive, manner.
Saint Francis – Franciscan
Around the church a few paintings depicting Saint Francis remind us that it has been a Franciscan church since 1561, when they took over from the Umiliati friars. The keeper explains that in the small chapel next to the main altar there’s a bronze trunk that used to contain Saint Francis’ habit (today it’s at LaVerna Sanctuary, one of the main Franciscan sites in Tuscany).
Crucifix by Giotto – Croce di Ognissanti
The left transept is dominated by an awesome, and massive, wooden crucifix by Giotto (1315). It’s truly impressive in its detail and the gorgeous use of colours. The gold, the luminous white used for the body of Christ, and the blue are mesmerising and make it a very moving, spiritual piece.
* Botticelli in Florence: Where to See his Most Famous Works
Main Altar and Major Chapel
Tha main altar is an extraordinary example of commesso fiorentino, a traditional Florentine mosaic with semi-precious stones, known as pietre dure, inlaid into it. The major Chapel was decorated in the 17th century-18th century.
Fresco by Taddeo Gaddi in the Sacristy
Don’t miss the Sacristy, which you reach via a corridor on the left side of the main altar. It contains a beautiful 14th century fresco by Gaddi depicting scenes from the crucifixion. And two frescoes by Pietro Nelli from the end of 1300, which are part of the most ancient decorations of the church still surviving today.
Famous people buried in Ognissanti Church
Botticelli Burial Place
The right transept has a few more chapels, including the famous one is where Botticelli is buried. Today fans of the iconic Renaissance master leave messages that are collected in a little basket.
Burial Chapel of Carolina Buonaparte
The other illustrious personality buried in the church is Carolina Buonaparte-Murat, the sister of Napoleon. She spent her last years in Florence, in the grand palace opposite the church (today the Hotel Excelsior), and died here in 1839.
A bit of history
The origin of Ognissanti Church date back to Medieval times, when the Umiliati friars started the construction in 1251. They were experts in wool dyeing, and this area, on the outskirt of Florence and near the river Arno, was perfect for this activity. It was, you could say, Florence’s first ‘industrial area’.
The church soon became wealthy and was beautifully decorated with beautiful frescoes (a few ancient ones remain in the Sacristy) . The bell tower – that you notice is different in style from the rest of the building – was one of the first to be built in Florence, in 1258.
The Franciscans took over the church is 1561, and implemented a radical transformation of the edifice. The church was given a Baroque makeover during the 17th century, that gave the church the look we can see today.
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