The Church of Santa Maria Novella, begun in 1246 by two monks, also architects, and finished in 1360 under the direction of Brother Iacopo Talenti, became the magnificent seat of the powerful Dominican order.
The name derives from the fact that the church took the place of a 9th century oratory called Santa Maria delle Vigne. The beautiful façade of the church was started in 1300 and completed years later in 1470 by Leon Battista Alberti; the two lateral doors with cusps above the lunettes are in Gothic style.
The internal is done in the shape of a Latin cross and divided into 3 naves with pilasters that sustain vaulted arches and the Basilica holds a series of works of art by Giotto, Brunelleschi, Masaccio and others. The frescoes by Paolo Uccello and the Florentine school from the 8th to15th century are also to be admired.