Florence - Church of the Annunciation Santissima Annunziata

The frescoes in the Chiostrino dei Voti are famous. Beginning on the left, they include masterpieces by Andrea del Sarto (scenes from the life of St Filippo Benizzi"), Cosimo Rosselli ("Summoning and Robing of St Filippo Benizzi), Alesso Baldovinetto ("Nativity", 1460-1462), another two by Andrea del Sarto ("Coming of the Magi" and, one of the artist's best works, "Birth of the Virgin", 1514) and Franciabigi's "Marriage of the Virgin", 1513 - the artist destroyed the Virgin's head because the monks looked at the picture before it was finished, and no-one was prepared to repair the damage. Finally, there are also great works by Pontormo ("Visitation of Mary", 1516) and Rosso Fiorentino ("Assumption of the Virgin", 1517).

The interior of the Church of the Annunciation consists of a nave lined by chapels, with the choir in the form of a rotunda. The walls are clad with marble dating from the complete refurbishment in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Close to the entrance, on the left, is a small marble temple, commissioned from Michelozzo by Piero de'Medici for the miraculous picture of the Annunciation, copies of which can be found throughout Italy. It is said that in the 13th century the monk who was painting this fell asleep in a state of despair at his inability to create a truly beautiful Madonna, and an angel completed the Virgin's face as he slept. Florentine newly-weds still make their way here today for the bride to leave her bouquet with the Madonna.

On the left side of the nave is the Cappella Feroni containing a fresco by Andrea del Castagno, "Redeemer and St Julian" (1455).

There is another fresco by Castagno in the second chapel, his "Trinity", and one of his last highly realistic works. The fourth chapel has a panel by Perugino, "Ascension of Christ", which is worth seeing.

The rotunda, which is divided into nine chapels, was begun by Michelangelo (1444) and completed in a different style by Leon Battista Alberti. The fourth chapel from the left contains a painting by Angelo Bronzino, "Resurrection" (1550). The Cappella della Madonna del Soccorso (Madonna of Succour) was designed by Giambologna between 1594 and 1598 as his own tomb and is richly adorned with frescoes, statuary and reliefs.

In the dome is a fresco of the Coronation of the Virgin by Volterrano (1681-1683).

Just inside the first chapel is a lovely "Pietà" by Baccio Bandinelli who is buried here with his wife.