Online reservations for the Basilica of Santa Croce, visited each year by hundreds of thousands people, placed in one of the most suggestive zones of Florence, known as the Temple of the Italian Glories, being the pantheon of many important artists, writers and scientists, including Michelangelo Buonarroti, Galileo Galilei, Gioachino Rossini,Ugo Foscolo and Leon Battista Alberti.
Info & Booking
Monumental complex of Santa Croce, Piazza Santa Croce 16, Florence.
The entrance ticket is a contribution by the tourist as a patron for the preservation and restoration of the Basilica heritage. Ticket allows entrance to the Church, the Cloisters and the Museum. The minimum time advised for the visit goes from 30 minutes to an hour and allows the vision of the most important works of art of the Monumental Complex.
Opening hours
Monday - Saturday from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm
Sunday and Holidays (January 6th, August 15th, November 1st, December 8th): from 2:00 to 5:00 pm
The Complex remains open also on Easter Monday, April 25th, May 1st and June 2nd.
The ticket office closes at 5 pm, and it's not possible to access after this time, even having a ticket.
Ticket is valid for a single day and 1 entrance.
Closure dates:
January 1st, Easter, June 13th (Saint Anthony), October 4th (Saint Francis), December 25th and 26th. In case of extraordinary events taking place in Piazza Santa Croce and for issues of public order, closure time can be anticipated (for example, for the Florentine Calcio Storico games taking place at the end of June).
Tablet Video Guide for the Basilica of Santa Croce
Add the reservation of a Video Guide for the Basilica of Santa Croce to the service! Modern 7-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab 2.0 tablet with disposable headphones available at the desk of the Basilica. The Audiovisual Guide contains 18 video clips and 200 high-resolution photographs, for a narrative trail conducted by the characters of Galileo and Brunelleschi. 5 languages available: English, Italian, Spanish, French and German. Video duration: 45 minutes. Didactic section has various degrees of search research material, so we suggest an average duration of visit of 2 hours and a half.
Reservations are confirmed 6 months before the visit, and can be made up to 1 business day before it.
Each reservation can be made for maximum 35 people per each escort.
Opera di Santa Croce reserves the right to modify at any time, for organization reasons, the possibility to book for specific time slots or periods.
Tickets must be picked up, 15 minutes before confirmed time, at the reservations cashier. Guides and escorts are asked to respect this time to avoid crowding and delays in entrance.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: After successfully completing a reservation, you will receive two e- mails: the copy of your order (immediately after submitting your order) and the confirmation mail (one working day after). In order to receive them, please make sure you insert your e-mail address correctly and check that your anti-spam filter or antivirus are not blocking mails from our address [email protected]. Special attention for AOL, Comcast and Sbcglobal.net mailbox users.
PLEASE NOTICE: Confirmed time is not always the same time you requested; museum automatically confirms the closest available time (any time) on the same date if requested time is sold out.
Cancellation Policy: Your booking cannot be modified nor canceled. The cost of priority booking is non refundable.
Entrances:
- The entrance for individual visitors is placed in largo Bargellini, the street to the left facing Santa Croce facade. Ticket office is located in the portico in Largo Bargellini just before entrance.
- Groups must enter from the left portale of the facade.
- People with difficulty walking and wheelchair users, entrance to the Basilica is facilitated by a ramp, located on Largo Bargellini. To visit the cloisters, the Pazzi Chapel and the Museo dell'Opera, it's necessary to exit from the Basilica and enter from the access door to the cloisters, usually used as exit (Piazza Santa Croce, the door to the right facing the facade).
Inside the church you will be able to rent a multilingual audioguide that offers a standard trail of about 2 and a half hours, available in Italian, English, French, Spanish and German.
IMPORTANT: BEHAVIOR RULES
The monumental complex of Santa Croce is overall a place for the cult and the pray; visitors are asked to respect some simple behavior rules in respect of the place and the persons.
- To use an adequate dressing: it's not allowed entrance with bare legs and shoulders
- Please be quiet
- Please turn your mobile phones off
- Do not eat nor drink
- Pets are not allowed
- Works of art must not be touched
- No smoking
- Please don't use flash or tripod
Groups over 10 people must use whispers, that can be rented at the reception.
Authorization for professional photographic shoots must be requested to the Archivio dell’ Opera di Santa Croce.
Rules of conduct
Visitors are asked to respect some simple rules. Your pre-purchased ticket DOES NOT guarantee access or the possibility to stay inside the monument. You may be asked to leave if you choose not to respect the following:
- Appropriate clothing is required – no bare arms/shoulders or bare legs. Please note that access to the Cathedral, the Baptistery and the Crypt will be denied without appropriate clothing.
- Please respect the silence
- Please turn your mobile phones and other electronic devices off
- Do not eat nor drink
- Pets are not allowed
- Works of art must not be touched
- No smoking
- No flash photography or tripod
- Access not allowed with large suitcases
- Wardrobe not present
Please note that the various places of worship may always be subject to closure without notice for masses, concerts, and extraordinary events.
Intro
Visit one of the most beautiful churches of Florence and the largest Franciscan church in the world - the Basilica of Santa Croce, visited each year by hundreds of thousands people. The Basilica of Santa Croce is also known as the Temple of the Italian Glories, as many important artists, writers and scientists, including Michelangelo Buonarroti, Galileo Galilei, Gioachino Rossini, Ugo Foscolo and Leon Battista Alberti are buried here. Your ticket gives you access to the treasures of the Monumental Complex which includes the Basilica, the Cloisters, and the Museo dell'Opera.
RULES OF CONDUCT
Visitors are asked to respect some simple rules. Your pre-purchased ticket DOES NOT guarantee access or the possibility to stay inside the monument. You may be asked to leave if you choose not to respect the following:
- Appropriate clothing is required – no bare arms/shoulders or bare legs. Please note that access to the Cathedral, the Baptistery and the Crypt will be denied without appropriate clothing.
- Please respect the silence
- Please turn your mobile phones and other electronic devices off
- Do not eat nor drink
- Pets are not allowed
- Works of art must not be touched
- No smoking
- No flash photography or tripod
- Access not allowed with large suitcases
- Wardrobe not present
Please note that the various places of worship may always be subject to closure without notice for masses, concerts, and extraordinary events.
Before You Book
PLEASE NOTE: Immediately after submitting an order, you will receive two email. The first email contains your order summary (this one you receive immediately after placing your order), the second email confirms your successful payment (one business day after placing the order). In order to receive these two emails, please make sure that you enter your email address correctly and check that antispam or antivirus filters do not block emails from our [email protected] address. Users of AOL, Comcast and Sbcglobal.net need to pay special attention to this, please. Vouchers will also be available, one business day after the request, at your dashboard.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The time you select on the order form is your preferred time. The closest available time, which can be anytime during opening hours on the selected date, will be automatically confirmed if your preferred time is no longer available.
Basilica of Santa Croce | Weekend in Italy
Your single ticket gives you access to the treasures of the Monumental Complex which includes the Basilica, the cloisters, and the Museo dell'Opera.
The Basilica, with its T-shaped base and three naves, was built in the tradition of Franciscan convents. One of the most beautiful churches of Florence and the largest Franciscan church in the world, the Basilica of Santa Croce is also known as the Temple of the Italian Glories, as many important artists, writers and scientists are buried here. You will be able to see the most important sepulchers (including those of Michelangelo Buonarroti, Galileo Galilei, Niccolò Machiavelli), the tombs in the pavement, the altars by Vasari, and the many chapels with frescoes of the most important Italian artists from the 12th century (Giotto, Agnolo Gaddi, and others).
The Primo Chiostro or “main cloister” was built in the 14th century. It houses the Pazzi Chapel and the Funeral Gallery from the 18th century, as well as the Pietro Parigi Museum, dedicated to the works by the Florentine woodcut artist active in Santa Croce from 1965 to 1983 (Small Ancient Cloister). The 15th century cloister is placed between the Museo dell'Opera and the rear of the National Library.
The Museo dell'Opera is housed mainly in the refectory, between the 14th and the 15th century cloisters. Here you will have the opportunity to see such works of art as the Crucifix by Cimabue, the frescoes with the Last Supper, The Tree of Life by Taddeo Gaddi, the statue of San Ludovico by Donatello, the Descent of Christ into Limbo by Agnolo Bronzino, the Funeral Monument to Gastone della Torre by Tino di Camaino, terracottas by the Robbia family, and stained glass windows, some of which are attributed to Giotto.
Duration of the visit to all three areas is about 2 hours (2.5 hours with audio guide).