On May 3, at 10am, the inauguration of the new itinerary and exhibition spaces in the Basilica of Santa Croce will take, coinciding with the 720th anniversary of the foundation of the current church of Santa Croce.
Seven hundred and twenty years ago, on May 3, 1294, the first stone of the church of Santa Croce was laid. This year, on the same date, a new historic event takes place: the opening of new exhibition spaces in the Basilica. The area, located to the right of the transept, and encompassing the Corridor of the Novices, the Medici Chapel and the Sacristy will be a new home for the works of art that were previously housed in the Cenacolo (part of the Museum of the Opera di Santa Croce).
The biggest threat for this patrimony has been the numerous floods of the river Arno, an unavoidable problem, given the fact that the church was built on Florence’s lowest-lying ground and in close proximity to the Arno. The new exhibition spaces, located about 3 metres higher than the museum, will provide a safer location from any future floods. In addition, this new itinerary gives new life to this area of the church, while shedding new light on the artworks, now placed closer to their original intended location.
Among the 15 artworks on the view are Bronzino’s Descent into Hell and Crucifix of Cimabue, which became an internationally renowned symbol of the flood of 1966.
Check out www.santacroceopera.it for the details of the event.
