Santa Croce Firenze is a basilica in Florence where Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli, Rossini and other prominent Florentines are buried. Reportedly the world’s largest Franciscan church, Santa Croce was built starting at about 1294. The Neo-Gothic style façade, which consists of white, black, green, yellow, and a variety of red marbles, was not built for centuries later. The first stone was secured in 1857 and decorations were completed in 1865. The church initially served as the final resting place for families living in the surrounding district. Starting in the 15th century, some of the city’s most notable residents were buried there, after which the church came to be known as “Temple of the Italian Glories.” ⁠