Santa Croce in Florence–a “must-see”

[This is the first of many blogs about walking the Way of St. Francis, from Florence to Assisi.

Florence is filled with many famous, and old churches, of which the Duomo is best-known, but perhaps equally famous is Santa Croce, the largest Franciscan Church in the world, which is maybe a contradiction in terms. If you are beginning your pilgrimage in Florence, this is the place to get your first stamp on your credential.

During Francis lifetime, he established an outpost here, in an area east of the old city, outside the walls in a marshy “suburb” that was home to the poorest. That is very Franciscan. After he died a modest church was built on the spot, but in 1294 they started the current structure and it became the center of life in the eastern part of the city, which was dominated by the wool and fabric trades and the lowly-paid craftsmen who did the work. It took nearly 80 years to complete.

One reason it is so large is that the friars emphasized preaching to the people, and they wanted a place that they could gather them. I felt that the interior space gave it a peace that was very “Franciscan.”

Eventually the church became the place for prominent Florentines to be buried, including Machiavelli, Michelangelo and Galileo, among many others. I read that there are over 1,000 burials inside this enormous church. This is somewhat ironic for a place that began as an outpost of St. Francis, part of what I call the “Franciscan Paradox.” More about that as I journey on with our group.

I noted in the church that devastating floods have hit Florence repeatedly, even as recent as 1966, when many priceless pieces of art were destroyed. They marked the high point of each of these floods on the walls. The photo at left shows the markings from 1844, 1557 and 1966, bottom to top. In 1966 the floods reached over 5 meters. The worst floods, Florentines note, happen in years with a double digit!

I was especially interested in seeing Galileo’s tomb. I read a biography of him in sixth grade and recall being appalled that he was threatened with death (as a heretic) for discovering and then proclaiming that the sun, not earth, was the center of the solar system, because it went against Church teaching. He agreed to recant, in the face of death.

He died in 1633, but was not allowed a church burial until 1737. We are still having this ridiculous argument today about scientific fact vs. religious faith.

Our group of 12 pilgrims, along with our guide Giovanni Ramoccionii and host (me) will start in foot, for Assisi, on Saturday. I am hosting this group through Pilgrim Paths, which will do another dozen or more similar tours (on foot or bicycle) next year. Many more blog posts to come as I journey along!

Copyright © 2023 by Russ Eanes

Russ Eanes is a writer/walker/cyclist from Harrisonburg, VA and the author of Pilgrim Paths to Assisi: 300 Miles on the Way of St. Francis and The Walk of a Lifetime: 500 Miles on the Camino de Santiago.