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Churches in Quartiere di San Giovanni, Florence

CHURCH OF ORSANMICHELE
Originally this building, a loggia designed by Arnolfo di Cambio (1209), was a granary and market. Only later did it become a house of worship: the loggia arcades were closed off by Simone Talenti and the exterior embellished with Florentine Gothic sculptures and ediculas.

BASILICA OF SAN LORENZO AND THE MEDICI CHAPELS
The original church that stood on this site was consecrated by Ambrose, Bishop of Milan in 393; Cosimo the Elder had it enlarged and remodeled by Brunelleschi. Inside there are works by Rosso Fiorentino, Desiderio da Settignano, Donatello and Bronzino. The church is flanked by the splendid, square-shaped Old Sacristy by Brunelleschi and the New Sacristy, by Michelangelo (1524), that houses the Medici family tombs. Along with the Baroque Chapel of the Princes, the New Sacristy comprises the museum of the Medici Chapels.

To the left of the church is the Laurentian Library, also designed by Michelangelo, by order of the Medici family who wanted a place to conserve their fine collections of books, papyri and manuscripts.
Not far from the San Lorenzo complex is the Mercato Centrale, or central market, a fine example of late 19th century steel and glass architecture.

BASILICA OF THE SS. ANNUNZIATA
Founded in 1250 and then expanded over the centuries, this is one of the most important churches in Florence. The Cloister of the Voti and the Cloister of the Morti contain frescoes by Andrea del Sarto, Rosso Fiorentino, Franciabigio and Pontormo. Inside the temple of the Annunziata, designed by Michelozzo, there is an image of the Virgin Mary that is considered miraculous.

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