I'd love to hear about your favorite churches in Florence(large and small) and why you like them.

[I rewrote this past post of mine and added a new URL]

I like this small overlooked church because of its sad romantic history .
  
'Santa Margherita de' Cerchi'
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...%27_Cerchi.JPG
It's just down the street from the (so-called) 'Casa Dante' tourist site.
 
This small family chapel/church is where Dante's secret love Beatrice is buried.
http://www.nukekiller.net/pics/europ...tricetomb2.jpg

He idolized her thru-out his life and in his writings.
Also artists have painted their one-sided romance for centuries.
 A brief history of Beatrice and Dante.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beatrice_Portinari

 Was his love even at such a young age 'love at 1st sight' and she really was his life's soulmate?

Or was this unrequited secret Love just a fad of his day?

Personally, I like to believe the former . Regards, Walter

San Miniato-- for its sweeping view of Florence and the Duomo down below.

ttt

Anybody else?

Santa Croce, in special for the graves. This is the burial place of Galileo, Dante, Machiaveli, Michelangelo, Rosini and more.

Then, San Miniato for the its exterior and for the views.

I like San Carlo dei Lombardi which is on Via Calzaiuoli. It is really small and nice.

http://www.planetware.com/florence/s...-i-to-fscl.htm

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Im...i_Lombardi.JPG

Chiesa di Santa Maria del Carmine for the Cappella Brancacci

The Bapistry of the duomo for every single detail, but I recommend entering the museum of the duomo to see its original door panels preserved under glass

Santa Maria Novella for its closters, edifice and Massaccio

And while no longer a religious building, the deconsecrated monastery of San Marco, for its multiplicity of Fra Angelico murals

bookmark

As you plan your visit to the churches, do pay attention to the hours and days on which they are open to tourists. A lot of them have very limited hours and/or days of operation.

Thanks missypie for the advice!

bkm

San Miniato al Monte and Santa Croce.

- Santa Croce, for the Giotto frescoes and the tombs. The tomb of the Florentine humanist Leonard Bruni, is my favorite, for the epitaph:

"history is in mourning and eloquence is dumb, and it is said that the Muses, Greek and Latin alike, cannot restrain their tears"

- there's just something so poignant about that.

- Santa Maria Novella for the Ghirlandaio frescoes and the fabulous facade

- San Marco for the glorious Fra Angelico frescoes

San Marco for the frescoes and santa Croce for the tombs.

In the books we've been searching, we have only come across one reference to a church requiring shoulders covered and no jeans. Are there other "less known" requirements we should be aware of?

Basically, dress conservatively. That means no bare shoulders or short skirts above the knees in churches throughout Europe.

As for my favorite church in Florence: Santa Maria Novella, which holds much early Renaissance masterpieces, like Giotto's crucifix, Masacchio's Holy Trinity painting, and frescoes inspired by Dante's Divine Comedy. Plus, it was the first church in Florence that I visited.