Piazza della Santissima Annunziata
Piazza della Santissima Annunziata features on the Gingerguide audio walk through Florence. Give it roughly ~30 min: enough to look, hear a two to three minute story on the spot, and ask the AI guide whatever the story leaves open.
- Type square
- Suggested visit ~30 min
- Florence Florence guide
About Piazza della Santissima Annunziata
Florence's most elegant square, flanked by Brunelleschi's orphanage loggia and Antonio da Sangallo's arcaded church, with Giambologna's equestrian statue of Ferdinand I and Pietro Tacca's baroque fountains.
The Piazza della Santissima Annunziata is widely considered Florence's finest square, a unified ensemble of Renaissance and Baroque architecture surrounding a grand public space. The north side is dominated by the Basilica della Santissima Annunziata (founded 1250), its portico designed by Antonio da Sangallo the Elder in the 15th century to match the proportions of Brunelleschi's Spedale degli Innocenti opposite. The east side is occupied by the Spedale's famous loggia. The composition of three arcaded façades around the square creates one of the most harmonious urban spaces in Italy.
In the centre stands an equestrian statue of Grand Duke Ferdinand I de' Medici, begun by Giambologna and completed by his pupil Pietro Tacca after 1608. Flanking the statue are two baroque bronze fountains by Pietro Tacca (1629), unusual for their sea-monster spouting motifs. The square is also home to an important annual gift fair in the days before the Feast of the Annunciation (25 March).
Did you know? The equestrian statue of Ferdinand I was cast from melted-down Ottoman cannons captured during naval battles against the Turkish fleet in the Mediterranean.
How long is a visit to Piazza della Santissima Annunziata?
Set aside roughly ~30 min for Piazza della Santissima Annunziata. That covers a good look and the narrated story, and because you set the pace you can always stay on.
Is Piazza della Santissima Annunziata worth your time?
Piazza della Santissima Annunziata is among the 42 narrated highlights the Gingerguide team chose for Florence, so it is worth a look. Hear the story for the context, then ask the AI guide for anything more.
Nearby stops in Florence
Hear the story of Piazza della Santissima Annunziata
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