Santa Maria Novella and its Monumental Cloisters by Fr. Stefano Orlandi, O.P.

(Florence: Becocci Editore, 2004), 96

I got this at Santa Maria Novella, which we attended for Easter mass. It is a helpful guide to the artwork of the church and has some interesting Dominican history.

  • "In order to disguise the slope of the roof of the side naves, Alberti created the two upturned scrolls, and this facade represents the first such use of this highly original arhitectural element." (6)
  • First stone of the "new" church was laid on October 18, 1279 (7)
  • "The church is distinguished by its perfect proportions, its elegant simplicity, and the extreme sobriety of its magnificent decorations. Michelangelo was so enamored of Santa Maria Novella that he often referred to the church as 'my wife'." (8)
  • The Crucifix in the center of the church by Giotto is "in perfect conformity with the Dominicans' struggle against the Catharian heresy which maintained the absolute negativity of the material, considered to be diabolical, as opposed to the spirit. The victory over this heresy, which denied the divine nature of the humanity of Christ, was at the basis of that type of Humanism which is both civil and Christian at the same time and is the foundation of our civilization, which, thanks to its Christian roots, has been able to proclaim the liberty, fraternity and equality of all men, and has contributed significantly to the definition of those human rights which, in the interest of all humanity, must be universally recognized " (12-13)
  • The Triumph of Catholic Doctrine by Andrea di Buonaiuto in the Spanish Chapel has Thomas at the center holding a book inscribed with "I prayed and prudence was given to me; I implored, and the spirit of knowledge came to me, and I chose it over all the kingdoms and thrones." Hovering around him are figures representing the Theological and Cardinal virtues. (66)
  • Santa Maria Novella was at one point a great school Dante studied there, and it was there that he was likely introduced to the teaching of Aquinas. (82)
  • "For a Dominican, the study of the sacred sciences is not only a source of intellectual enrichment, it is, above all, a means for reaching the contemplation of the 'divine truths'. This state can be obtained when study is joined with pietas. Contemplation, in fact, is derived from the combination of a life of study and a life of prayer. Dante tells us that 'among the lambs of the holy flock / which Dominic leads along the way / they will fatten up if they don't wander' (Paradiso X, 94-96). The meaning of the verb to fatten up, to eat one's fill, refers to the state of satiation derived from contemplation." (82)
  • The first recorded sermons in volgare (the Medieval vernacular Italian) were preached at Santa Maria Novella by Blessed Giordano of Pisa (♰ 1311)
  • The Santa Maria Novella library had 932 books in 1489 (84)
  • Of the friars of Santa Maria Novella, 42 have been made bishops (84)
  • "Santa Maria Novella was the starting point for the architectural and urban renewal of Florence." (91)

Topic: Santa Maria Novella

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Created: 2025-04-20-Sun
Updated: 2025-06-02-Mon