Basilica of Santa Maria Novella

Why go

This record is the basilica, not the Museo di Santa Maria Novella in the cloisters next to it, which the City of Florence owns. The Opera per Santa Maria Novella, which manages the basilica for visits, says the Dominicans founded it in the first half of the thirteenth century and that since 2012 one ticket admits visitors to both the basilica and the museum's cloisters, Spanish Chapel and refectory. The Opera's visit page says tickets can be bought without booking at the basilica's ticket office on the day, while those who want to book must buy through the Museo di Santa Maria Novella's website. It also says the basilica stays open for personal prayer and religious services, and the Opera says tourist visits are not allowed during services. The Opera's visitor rules ask visitors to wear suitable clothes, not to use mobile phones inside the church and not to bring bulky luggage or trolleys.