The early-16th-century Santa Croce Church (or Chiesa della Croce) in Anghiari is graced by a number of precious works of art by, most notably, Il Passignano. The church is built in a Renaissance style.
Chiesa della Croce Anghiari
Useful information
Address: Via della Croce – Anghiari. Telephone: Not known. Opening Hours: Not known. Entrance fee: Free.
History and description
The Santa Croce Church was founded by Santa Maria del Borghetto fraternity in 1499. The foundation occurred on a spot where St. Francis had erected a cross. The church was therefore dedicated to St. Francis until 1566, when it received its current name.
The construction of the church built in Renaissance style lasted until 1534.
The interior is characterized by the long portico along the facade.
The associated monastery was reconstructed and enlarged in 1563. The loggia on the facade was an addition from 1565.
The interior consists of a single nave. The altars were added in the 16th and 17th centuries by the richest and most important families of the city. The paintings above these altars date from the 17th century and were created by representatives of the Florentine school.
Works of art
Domenico Cresti (1559-1638), nicknamed Il Passignano, painted the “Finding of the Cross” at the main altar and the “Immaculate Conception.” Cresti is best known for a number of paintings in the Sant’Andrea della Valle Church in Rome. He is buried in the Passignano Chapel named after himself in the Santissima Annunziata Basilica in Florence.