PIAZZA ANNUNZIATA, Church - Interior

Passing from the bright Chiostrino dei Voti into the Basilica della Santissima Annunziata, it might seem like dusk has come early.

But as soon as you get used to the dimmed light, the church will begin to show off all its unexpected pomp. The Florentine churches rarely seem so lavish, but this is a definite exception. Among stuccoes, marble, and gilding, you can recognize various architectural and decorative phases, though the appearance will seem mostly Baroque. You can also have fun looking at the various ex-voti, gifts, and precious furnishings that have accumulated in the basilica, which perhaps has more devotees than any other church in Florence.

Immediately to the left of the entrance is the fifteenth-century temple that protects the miraculous fresco: even Michelangelo, a notoriously free and critical spirit, believed that a divine intervention should be recognized in the painting!

Among the artwork of the side chapels, don't miss the interesting marble Pietà in the chapel to the right, where the sculptor Baccio Bandinelli has portrayed himself supporting the body of dead Christ....