Catholic Churches of Florence

An integral part of Florence's faith, hope and history has been her Catholic churches. Santa Maria del Fiore, the Duomo, marks her skyline. The Badia Fiorentina, with its six-sided tower, was near Dante's home. Ognissanti was the church of Amerigo Vespucci's family. Michelangelo and others are interred in Santa Croce. San Lorenzo was the church of the Medici.
This morning I went to mass in a chapel in Santa Maria Novella.

Those are a few of the well-known churches, but there are many others with wonderful histories and art treasures. There also are small parish churches. Later in the morning I went searching for San Leonardo in Arcetri, and found it down a narrow road on the outskirts of town.

Follow the road and you can see its bell tower. Today the church was closed, but a sign indicated a Sunday morning mass. Hope to be back.
Over the years I've seen numerous short lists of Florence's main churches, and at least one long list including historic churches, many of which have been deconsecrated, destroyed or otherwise closed away. The following is a list of churches, ranging from the very large to the very, very small (oratorio), that can be visited, or at least have been accessible at certain times in recent years. They are all within about a one mile radius, as the crow flies, of the center of Florence.
Duomo di Santa Maria del Fiore * Battistero di San Giovanni * Basilica della Santissima Annunziata * Basilica di Santa Croce * Basilica di San Lorenzo * Basilica di Santa Maria Novella * Badia Fiorentina * Ognissanti * Orsanmichele * Sant'Ambrogio * Sant'Apollonia * Santi Apostoli * San Barnaba * San Carlo dei Lombardi * Sant'Egidio * San Filippo Neri * San Gaetano * San Giovannino dei Cavalieri * San Giovannino degli Scolopi * San Giuliano * San Giuseppe * San Marco * Santa Margherita de'Cerchi * Santa Margherita in Santa Maria de'Ricci * Santa Maria Maddelena dei Pazzi * Santa Maria Maggiore * San Martino del Vescovo * San Michele Visdomini * San Paolino * San Remigio * Santi Simone e Guida * Santa Trinita * Basilica di San Miniato al Monte * San Felice * San Francesco di Paola * San Frediano in Cestello * Santa Maria del Carmine * Santa Maria al Pignone * San Niccolo sopr'Arno * San Piero in Gattolino * San Salvatore al Monte * Santo Spirito * San Leonardo in Arcetri * Santa Lucia dei Magnoli.
Each is a gem, especially when one stops in for a prayer. This is the top of the campanile, or bell tower, of the Badia Fiorentina.

Pace e ciao.