Arguably one the most beautiful and harmonious squares in Florence, Piazza della Santissima Annunziata exemplifies the ideals of the Renaissance architecture with works by some of the greatest masters of the period. The piazza is surrounded on three sides by balanced porticoes, with the mostly southern oriented side opening on to Via dei Servi.The area of the piazza was chosen in 1250 as a space for a church by the Florentine members of the Servite Order. At the time the piazza lay in open countryside outside the main city walls of Florence, in an area called Cafaggio.