This gothic church contains tombs of many famous artists amongst
which Michelangelo, Ghiberti, Machiavelli, Dante and Galileo are
included. Santa Croce, after which the church was named, played
a signifìcant role in the evolution of the Renaissance thought.
The full sessions of the Council of Florence which attempted to
reconcile the differences between the Roman and Eastern churches
took place in this church. Santa Croce has traditionally always
been used for important civic and religious events because it is
large enough to contain crowds of people. This is where the
Franciscan preachers, as well as St. Bernardino of Siena, during
the plague of 1437, addressed the population. This was also
where Carnival and May Day festivities were celebrated, as well
as tournaments, jousting and carousels, especially during the
Renaissance, with the participation of the younger members of
the Florentine aristocracy. Such events included the famous
jousts described by Pulci (1469) and Poliziana (1475), with
Lorenzo and Giu