Basilica della Santissima Annunziata di Firenze
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The Basilica della Santissima Annunziata (Basilica of the Most Holy Annunciation) is a Roman Catholic minor basilica in Florence and the mother church of the Servite order. It is located at the northeastern side of the Piazza Santissima Annunziata, which was designed by Filippo Brunelleschi.
The church was founded in 1250 by the seven original members of the Servite order. In 1252, a painting of the Annunciation, which had been begun by one of the monks but abandoned in despair because he did not feel he could create a beautiful enough image, was supposedly completed by an angel while he slept. This painting was placed in the church and became so venerated that in 1444 the Medici financed a new church. Michelozzo, who was the brother of the Servite prior, was commissioned to build the church, which was finally completed by Leon Battista Alberti in 1481.
Pilgrims who came to the church to venerate the miraculous painting often left wax votive offerings, many of them life-size models of the donor (sometimes complete with horses). By the late 18th century there were some six hundred of these images and they had become one of the city's great tourist attractions. In 1786, however, they were all melted down to make candles. The atrium which was built to house these figures, the Chiostrino dei Voti, is covered in frescoes begun in 1516 to mark the canonisation of Filippo Benizzi, founder of the Servites. These were largely painted by Andrea del Sarto, Pontormo and Rosso Fiorentino and depict scenes from Benizzi's life and also from the life of the Virgin.
The interior of the church is dominated by the large tabernacle designed by Michelozzo to house the miraculous painting, itself now so frequently repainted that it is impossible to distinguish clearly. Florentine brides traditionally visit the shrine to leave their bouquets. Other chapels contain frescoes by Andrea del Castagno. The organ (1628) is the oldest in Florence and the second oldest in Italy. The circular tribune containing the high altar is unusual and is surrounded by chapels.
The church contains the tombs of the artists Baccio Bandinelli, Pietro Tacca and Giambologna.
The cloister, known as the Chiostri dei Morti, contains the famous Madonna del Sacco by Andrea del Sarto. The Cappella di San Luca, which opens off it, has belonged to the Accademia delle Arti del Disegno since 1565. Many artists are buried in its vault, including Benvenuto Cellini, Pontormo, Franciabigio, Giovanni Montorsoli and Lorenzo Bartolini.