Official Information
Official site: https://www.smn.it/en
Official tickets: Look for ticketing and practical information under the ‘Visit’ section on the official site; bookings are handled through the City Museums’ platform.
Address: Piazza Santa Maria Novella 18, 50123 Firenze FI, Italy
Map: View on Google Maps
Opening Hours
Generally open daily except some Mondays, from mid-morning to late afternoon or early evening. The church, cloisters, and museum share the same ticket, but last-entry times may vary slightly by section. Always double-check current hours on the official website before visiting.
Santa Maria Novella is the first major church you see when stepping out of Florence’s main train station, and it rewards more than a quick peek. Behind its elegant Renaissance façade lies a layered complex of Dominican spaces: the basilica itself, frescoed cloisters, the Spanish Chapel, and a small but rich museum. Together they trace how theology, civic pride, and artistic innovation intertwined in late-medieval Florence. Inside the church, the most famous work is Masaccio’s Holy Trinity, painted directly on the nave wall and often cited as a textbook example of early Renaissance perspective. Nearby, the Tornabuoni Chapel is wrapped in Ghirlandaio’s luminous frescoes, a visual catalogue of Florence’s elite families dressed in their best. Look up at the stained-glass windows and painted ceiling ribs to appreciate how the Dominicans used every surface as a teaching tool. Your ticket also opens the cloisters and former convent spaces. The Green Cloister (Chiostro Verde) once housed Uccello’s now-fragmentary frescoes, while the vast Spanish Chapel is a kind of painted encyclopedia of Dominican preaching, its walls covered with allegorical scenes full of tiny, fascinating details. These more intimate rooms usually feel much quieter than the nave and give a sense of monastic life. Because Santa Maria Novella sits right by the station, it’s an easy first or last stop in Florence, especially on a travel day when you might not want to commit to the Uffizi or Accademia. Plan 60–90 minutes for a thoughtful visit, more if you enjoy reading the iconography in detail. Staff and signage clearly separate ticketed museum areas from the zone reserved for free, short prayer visits, so you can choose the experience that suits you. Buying tickets in advance via the official system helps avoid queues on peak days.