The Duomo or the Santa Maria Novella are excellent examples of churches built to impress the people. And then some churches became monumental after their conception, as is the case with the Basilica Santissima Annunziata.History tells of a small oratory, back in 1081, built in fulfillment of a vow thanking the Virgin Mary for saving the city after the siege by Enrico IV. It was eventually abandoned and left in a state of disrepair just outside the city walls. In the mid-1200’s a group of seven men banded together to form the Order of Servite, dedicated to serving and honoring the Virgin Mary. When their responsibilities and numbers grew, they requested the use of the uninhabited oratory as a point of reference for their vigil outside the city gates in the hills surrounding Florence.In 1252, the friars decided to beautify the building with artwork dedicated to the Glorious Virgin during the Annunciation. According to the legend, the painter Friar Bartolomeo despaired over details in painting the face of the Virgin Mary. Distraught that he could not do her justice he finally fell asleep, exhausted from his attempts. He awoke to find that an “angel’s hand” had finished painting the details of her face, and it has since been called the “Miraculous Annunciation.” Even Michelangelo claimed it a divine piece of work.