The Opera di Santa Croce plays vital role in preserving and maintaining the many rich and complex layers of history that are represented in the vast artistic, cultural, civil and religious heritage of the basillica along with its extraordinary chapels, serene inner courtyards and affiliated buildings.   

The Enrico Pazzi monument of Dante Alighieri, which was erected in 1865, and stands today to the left of the basillica, may be seen here in this image more to the right. As the reader will note, the image of the piazza shown here was taken just after the great flood of 1966 which killed at least 101 people and is responsible for damaging or destroying millions of priceless artworks and rare books; leaving some scholars of art restoration to say that the flood of ’66 caused more damage to cultural heritage objects than both World Wars combined. It may also be said that the city of Florence has yet to overcome the full scope of the damage.

To donate to the Opera di Santa Croce and/or to learn more about their important work in the historical preservation of this landmark site, please go to their website which may be found in the Read More link below.

Image Credit: Torrini Fotogiornalismo Firenze. Used with permission.