Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence
Gothic Franciscan basilica holding the tombs of Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli and other Italian greats.
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About this audio guide
This guide to the Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence begins with Galileo Galilei's burial in 1642, hidden away in a cramped room beside a novices' chapel because the Inquisition's condemnation kept him off consecrated ground. It follows his former student Vincenzo Viviani, who spent decades quietly lobbying Rome to let his teacher rest properly, without living to see it succeed. The story turns on what it eventually took to move Galileo's coffin into the main nave, generations after his death.
This audio guide was created using AI.
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