Basilica of the Holy Spirit in Florence, Italy

The Founding and Early Development of Santo Spirito

In 1250, Speziale and Acolti donated land on the south bank of the Arno River to Aldebrandino, a prior of the Augustinian establishment in Arcetri. This plot, located within the communal walls of 1173–1175 in the Oltrarno district, was sparsely populated at the time. Accessibility improved in 1252 with the construction of the Holy Trinity Bridge (Ponte Santa Trinita). That same year, the Augustinians began building their church and convent, incorporating the pre-existing church of San Romolo into the complex. Originally dedicated to Mary, All Saints, and the Holy Spirit, its dedication shifted by the end of the century to Mary, the Holy Spirit, and Matthew.
The financial support of the commune played a key role in the construction of mendicant churches like Santo Spirito. Funds were provided in 1267 and again from 1292 to 1301. By 1301, houses were purchased to create the Piazza Santo Spirito in front of the church. By 1310, the church featured seven altars and family chapels, which continued to expand over the next century. By the mid-14th century, the complex included a substantial cloister. Artistic contributions included frescoes of the Crucifixion and The Last Supper by Andrea Orcagna and his workshop in the 1360s.
Santo Spirito also became a center for scholarship and charity. Recognized as the Studium Generale of the Augustinian order in 1284, the convent hosted the approval of the order’s Rule and Constitutions in 1287. The laudese confraternity, founded before 1322 and dedicated to the Virgin Mary, staged annual Pentecost plays and supported charitable efforts, including a house for former prostitutes established by friar Simone Fidati da Cascia, which housed over fifty women by 1333.

Humanism, Political Turmoil, and the Rebuilding of Santo Spirito

Santo Spirito was closely linked to the rise of early humanism in Florence. In the 1360s and 1370s, Giovanni Boccaccio led a group of scholars at the convent and later bequeathed his library to it upon his death in 1375. In the 1380s and early 1390s, another circle of humanists, including Coluccio Salutati and Leonardo Bruni, met under the guidance of Luigi Marsili, a philosopher who had studied with Petrarch. These gatherings fostered intellectual exchanges that left a lasting impact on Florence’s cultural landscape.
During the politically unstable 1370s, Santo Spirito witnessed significant upheavals. The assassination of Sandro da Quarata, a prominent Ricci faction member, occurred outside the church in 1370. In 1378, during the Ciompi Revolt, the monastery was attacked but successfully defended by forces loyal to the signoria. Conspirators revealed plans for a major uprising centered around Santo Spirito, demonstrating its symbolic and strategic importance.
Following Florence’s victory over Milan in 1397 during the Second Milan War, the city resolved to rebuild Santo Spirito to honor Saint Augustine. However, substantial progress only began in 1434 when Filippo Brunelleschi was commissioned to design a new church. Construction advanced slowly, and in March 1471, during the sacra rappresentazione “Descent of the Holy Spirit” organized to celebrate Galeazzo Maria Sforza’s visit, the old church caught fire, causing significant damage to both the church and parts of the convent. This event accelerated the need for reconstruction, solidifying Santo Spirito’s enduring legacy in Florence.