Age
XIII century; the façade XVII and XIX centuries
Designer
Unknown; façade by Matteo Nigetti
The Chiesa di Ognissanti is located in Piazza Ognissanti in the western part of the historic center of Firenze. The church, began in 1251, belonged to the Umiliati conventual complex, a Lombard order dedicated to poverty and work. They began the construction of the complex that ended between 1278 and 1294. The church was soon enriched with important works by the greatest artists of the time from Giotto, with the Maestà (now in the Uffizi) to Taddeo Gaddi, in the XIV century, Sandro Botticelli (here buried) and Ghirlandaio in the following century, above all thanks to the contribution of the prestigious families of the neighborhood. In 1571 the Umiliati left the church, behest of Cosimo I, replaced by the Observant Minor Franciscans. These brought new works of art to the church like the Relics of San Francesco di Assisi, and made extensions with the construction of two cloisters and the creation of new altars. The church was re-consecrated in 1582 and dedicated to San Salvatore di Ognissanti. The façade was designed in 1637, by Matteo Nigetti in Pietra Serena Sandstone and completed in the Florentine baroque style. This was rebuilt in 1872 with Travertine and crowned by the great coat of arms of Florence.
The convent was finally suppressed in 1866, and from 1923 it became the headquarters of the carabineer barracks. The Friars Minor took back their ancient seat in 1885 which they left in 2000. Only in autumn 2016 the church returned to the management of the Friars Minor, after being to the Benedictine community and to that of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate.
The baroque façade is composed of a double tripartite order of pilasters, with niches and imaginative window frames, all crowned by a coat of arms of Florence. The portal is decorated with an older lunette in glazed Terracotta representing the coronation of the Virgin attributed to Benedetto Buglioni (XVI century). There are two Medici coats of arms in honor of a rich family of converted Jews, who acquired the right to bear the effigy from the Medici family. The bell tower, by side to the church, dates back to the XIII-XIV century. Generale: The façade of Chiesa di Ognissanti.
The façade of the church is made of Travertine; above the portal is visible a glazed Terracotta lunette. The side parts are in Pietraforte Sandstone. The bell tower of the church is in Pietraforte Sandstone which was then plastered. The roof is in Bricks.
