Tomb of Michelangelo, Florence

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Please refer to my page on Santa Croce for more details about the structure. This church reminds me of the Pantheon in Paris or Westminster Abbey in London, not because of its design, but it is one of Italy's main places where it's cultural giants are burried. Here is a list of them:

Tombs and monuments in Santa Croce include those to:

Leon Battista Alberti (15th century architect and artistic theorist)
Vittorio Alfieri (18th century poet and dramatist)
Eugenio Barsanti (co-inventor of the internal combustion engine)
Charlotte Bonaparte (daughter of Joseph Bonaparte)
Leonardo Bruni (15th century chancellor of the Republic, scholar and historian)
Dante (actually buried in Ravenna)
Ugo Foscolo (19th century poet)
Galileo
Giovanni Gentile (20th century philosopher)
Lorenzo Ghiberti
Vittorio Ghiberti
Niccolò Machiavelli
Carlo Marsuppini (15th century chancellor of the Republic)
Michelangelo Buonarroti
Raffaello Morgheni (19th century engraver)
Gioacchino Rossini

The Basilica di Santa Croce or Basilica of the Holy Cross is located just east of the Duomo. This Franciscan church was said to be founded by St Francis himself. What strikes me the most is the beautiful facade made of white, pink and green marbles done in neo-Gothic design. This was probably the newer additions to the building, in the 19th century

This is also the final resting place of famous Italians e.g Michaelangelo & Galileo and you can find their tomb in the church

There is no fees to enter the church

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Santa Croce shows us the burial tombs of the most famous of Fireneze. The most famous of course being Michaelangelo. He is across the church from Gallileo. There are two other famous people that I can't remember at the moment. Really amazing to be there.

The Tomb of Michelangelo by Vasari, 1570.

Vasari met Michelangelo in Florence before he was called to Rome. For the rest of Vasari life, he idolised him as an artist.

Vasari's other works include the Palazzo dei Cavalieri at Pisa and the Loggie in Arezzo.

Inside Santa Croce you will find a lot of funeral monuments and tombstones, for example Galileo Galilei, Alfieri, the cenotaph of Dante (buried in Ravenna)... and this one in the picture, the tomb of Michelangelo, made by Vasari in 1570.

The church houses the funeral monument to Michelangelo.
I find it quite disconcerting that churches in Europe are very dark inside. It's the same with the Vatican too. Aren't these houses of God? & isn't God the way to the light???

Of other interest you will find inside Santa Croce are the many tombs and monuments of famous Florentines. One of the most photograhed must surely be that of the Michelangelo.

I'm not sure that I should have taken this photo actually but other people were so I just went for it.

Michelangelo Buonarroti had planned to have the Pietà completed for his own resting place. That did not happen so Vasari designed this monument for Michelangelo's tomb in 1570.

As you enter Santa Croce immediately to the right is the tomb of Michelangelo. The monument was designed by Vasari in 1570 and the three ladies symbolize Painting, Architecture and Sculpture.