Ognissanti Church is a quiet place to encounter Renaissance Florence near the Arno, a short walk from Santa Maria Novella station. Founded in the 13th century by the Umiliati, a religious order associated with wool working, the church later passed to the Franciscans and acquired its Baroque facade in the 17th century.
Inside are works tied to the neighbourhood’s artists and patrons. Sandro Botticelli is buried here, and his fresco of St Augustine faces Domenico Ghirlandaio’s St Jerome. The church was also associated with the Vespucci family: a figure in Ghirlandaio’s Madonna della Misericordia is traditionally identified as a young Amerigo Vespucci. Giotto’s Ognissanti Madonna was once here too, but is now in the Uffizi.
Next to the church, Ghirlandaio’s 1480 Last Supper fills a wall of the former refectory. The apostles sit at a long table beneath a painted loggia, with birds and fruit trees enlivening the scene. It’s a chance to study the artist’s gift for detail at close range, away from Florence’s busiest museums.
Check opening times before visiting: the church and the refectory have separate schedules, and access to the Last Supper can be limited. Dress modestly and keep your voice down, especially during services. Afterwards, walk along the river to Ponte alla Carraia for an easy crossing into the Oltrarno.