Santa Maria Novella
Station district with shops and a Renaissance basilica
The district around Florence's main station and basilica, with Alberti's Renaissance facade, Palazzo Strozzi and the historic monastery pharmacy.
Florence's gateway
For most visitors arriving by train, the district of Santa Maria Novella, around the station of the same name, is their first impression of Florence. At its centre is the great Dominican basilica, with Alberti's celebrated Renaissance marble facade fronting a broad piazza. The station building itself, completed in 1934, is considered a landmark of Italian modernist architecture.
Shopping and indulgence
Between the station and the Arno lie the elegant shopping streets around Via de' Tornabuoni, lined with luxury boutiques, and the Palazzo Strozzi. A particular gem is the centuries-old monastery pharmacy, the Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, known for its perfumes and herbal elixirs.
A practical base
Thanks to the direct rail link and central location, the district makes a convenient base, especially for anyone arriving by train or planning day trips into Tuscany.
