Santa Croce

Yesterday we had a great opportunity to go on a tour of Santa Croce. When we were in our teaching program, we had an older man named Elio, who is also a tour guide of Santa Croce. Well he is probably the sweetest, tiniest man I have met and he offered to give us a free tour.

 First off, when he walks up he immediately pulls out his camera to take pictures of us sitting in front of the statue of Dante. Then he gives us all the italian kiss. Next, he tells us that he will give us the shortened tour because otherwise we would be there all day. Well the shortened tour was two and a half hours, but worth every minute of it. 

 We learned that Santa Croce is the biggest Franciscan church in the world. He holds the bodies of people such as Michelangelo and Galileo and numerous famous artists. It has over 300 tombs in the church. It has Brunelleschi's peasant version of Jesus on the cross, the first time Jesus was portrayed as more humane than divine. It also holds the original sculpture that inspired the design of the "Statue of Liberty". As well as, the first pulpit to not have stairs on either side. Instead the priest would enter from a small door behind the pillar. It has the most amazing painting of the limbo stage. I could go on and on. 

I had been on a tour of Santa Croce when I studied abroad here, but I obviously didn't pay attention as well as I should have. I am really glad I went on the tour again.