Art in Tuscany | Churches in Firenze | The Basilica della Santissima Annunziata | Podere Santa Pia, Holiday house in the south of Tuscany

The Basilica della Santissima Annunziata

One of the most beautiful piazzas in Florence, Piazza della Santissima Annunziata exemplifies the stylistic harmony of some of the greatest architects of the Renaissance. The church that gives the piazza its name, the Santissima Annunziata, lies behind the central portico of the piazza.

The Basilica della Santissima Annunziata (Basilica of the Most Holy Annunciation) is a Roman Catholic minor basilica in Florence and the mother church of the Servite order. It is located at the northeastern side of the Piazza Santissima Annunziata.

Churches in Firenze | The Basilica della Santissima Annunziata

Piazza della Santissima Annunziata

Piazza della Santissima Annunziata and Giambologna's last statue, of Ferdinando I de' Medici
The beautiful Piazza Annunziata is bordered on three sides by a portico or loggia. The portico on the east side is the oldest and belongs to Il Ospedale degli Innocenti or The Hospital of the Innocents. It is no ordinary portico, but one with a special position in the history of architecture. This was the first major work to be designed, in the new Renaissance style, by one of the greatest architects of the age, Filippo Brunelleschi. The area of the piazza was chosen in 1250 as a space for a little church. At the time the piazza lay in open countryside outside the walls of Florence, in an area called Cafaggio. The church houses the Miraculous Annunciation, a masterpiece that according to legend was painted by an angel. The church became the destination of pilgrimages and processions and it soon became necessary to expand the church and the piazza, in addition to connecting it to the city center.		The Hospital of the Innocents, façade by Filippo Brunelleschi


Portico of the Basilica of the Santissima Annunziata, Florence \| Photo by Joanbanjo
Podere Santa Pia, with its wide panoramic terrace overlooking the Maremma, is the ideal place to enjoy the beauty of Tuscany and to pass a very relaxing holiday in contemplation of nature, with the advantage of tasting the most typical dishes of Tuscan cuisine and its best wines. The extreme simplicity of Tuscan cuisine is its strongest strength, as the flavours that emerge during the cooking process are vibrant and pure. A little known fact about Tuscan cuisine is that the French learned how to cook from their Tuscan counterparts when it was imported by Catherine de' Medici into the court of Henry II. The Tuscan style of cooking is richly flavoured and wholesome. With its original kitchen and the wood burning pizza oven, Casa Santa Pia offers an upbeat atmosphere. Enjoy an alfresco lunch on the terrace overlooking the vineyards and olive trees of southern Tuscany... Tuscan Holiday houses \| Podere Santa Pia

Podere Santa Pia, with a stunning view over the Maremma and Monte Christo



Podere Santa Pia	Podere Santa Pia, garden	Monte Christo, view from Santa Pia

Sant'Antimo, between Santa Pia and Montalcino	Monte Oliveto Maggiore abbey	Villa Arceno gardens


Orvieto, Duomo	Siena, Duomo	Florence, Duomo Santa Maria del Fiore


This article incorporates material from the Wikipedia article Santissima Annunziata, Florence published under the GNU Free Documentation License, and m edia related to Santissima Annunziata (Firenze) at Wikimedia Commons.