Santa Croce, rebuilt for the Franciscan order in 1294 by Arnolfo di Cambio, is the burial place for the great and good in Florence. Michelangelo is buried in Santa Croce, as are Rossini, Machiavelli, and the Pisan-born Galileo Galilei, who was tried by the Inquisition and was not allowed a Christian burial until 1737, 95 years after his death. There is also a memorial to Dante, but his sarcophagus is empty (he is actually buried in Ravenna as he was exiled from Florence).The first religious structure, which has long been replaced, dates back before 1252. Located outside the original city walls, it was surrounded by the Tuscan countryside dotted with a few country-styled homes and was adorned with paintings by Cimabue, Simone Memmi, and Giottino. The Augustinian monks came onto the scene around this time, which would make this among the earliest Augustinian foundations still occupied by the monks.
Please login or register.