Piazza di Santa Maria Novella, Florence

The church of "Ognissanti" (All Saints), one of the first Baroque churches in Florence, dates back to a 13th century building but was completely renovated in the 16th and 17th centuries. Restoration work had to be carried out in 1872 and after the flood of 1966.The main features of the exterior are the glazed terracotta relief "Coronation of the Virgin with Saints", ascribed to both Giovanni della Robbia and Benedetto Buglioni, and the Romanesque Campanile. Inside, at the second altar on the right, are Domenico Ghirlandaio's "Madonna della Misericordia" (Madonna of the Protecting Cloakd, 1470), and a fresco with a Pietà by Domenico and Davide Ghirlandaio (1472). The sacristy contains a painting on wood of "Christ Crucified" in the style of Giotto and a fresco of the Crucifixion by Taddeo Gaddi.

Michelangelo bought the house for his nephew Leonardo di Buonarroti but never lived in it himself. Leonardo's son, Michelangelo, decorated it and turned it into a memorial to the great artist. After a long period of dilapidation it was completely restored in 1964.The wooden crucifix (1494) from Santo Spirito, supposedly Michelangelo's earliest work for a church, is also interesting. Christ is depicted not as a man of sorrows but as a gentle handsome youth.Other items on display are models or copies of the works of Michelangelo or mementos of the artist's life. There are also sculptures and paintings by other masters.

The wealthy English art critic Herbert Percy Horne (1864-1916) gave the State a valuable collection of paintings, sculptures, drawings, furniture and ancient ornaments and utensils which are now on display in the Palazzetto Horne.This building, also transferred to the State, was built in the late 15th century for the Alberti family, probably by Simone del Pollaiolo (Cronaca), and later belonged to the Corsi family. The collection was seriously damaged in the 1966 floods, especially the groundfloor exhibits.The first floor holds 14th-16th century paintings, including works by Simone Martini, Benozzo Gozzoli, Pietro Lorenzetti, Filippino Lippi and Bernardo Daddi. Among exhibits on the second floor are furniture made in Florence, drawings, roundels and terracottas (all 15th/16th century).

The large building of the National Library in Florence (built 1911-1935) on Corso dei Tintori, Via Magliabechi and Piazza dei Cavalleggeri, near the Santa Croce complex contains 24,721 manuscripts, 723,138 letters and documents, 3,780 incunabula, over four million books, 5,855 volumes and 4,451 sheets of music, 630 atlases and 14,754 geographical and topographical maps.Of especial value are an early 14th century copy of Dante's "Divine Comedy" (probably the oldest in existence), manuscripts by Galileo, and missals and bibles dating from before the invention of printing. The library goes as far back as the 13th century and preserves manuscripts by all the famous Florentines.

The refectory of the former convent of St Onuphrius, which belonged to the Franciscan nuns of Foligno, contains Perugino's "Last Supper". It was seriously damaged in the 1966 floods. With this work Perugino proved that he was the equal in Florence of Andrea del Castagno and Ghirlandaio. His "Last Supper" can be viewed by appointment only (tel. 21 83 41).

The first bridge upstream of the Ponte Vecchio is the Ponte alle Grazie, which was built in 1237 on the orders of Mandella, Podestà of Florence. The bridge withstood the 1333 flood but was so badly damaged in the Second World War that it had to be rebuilt in its modern form. The name of the bridge comes from a nearby chapel dedicated to the Virgin.

Santa Maria Novella train station is one of the first buildings of Italian rational architecture. It was designed by a team headed by Giovanni Michelucci, and was built between 1933 and 1935.