A very unusual Michelangelo in the Holy Spirit church.

According to Vasari : “He made a wooden crucifix for the church of Santo Spirito, placed on top of the high altar.”

Everyone in Florence knows that the Basilica of Santo Spirito (the Holy Spirit), in the Oltrarno quarter, was designed by Filippo Brunelleschi (like the Dome). Maybe not everyone knows that the young Michelangelo improved its artistic education in this monastery.

The Oltrarno district still preserves many peculiarities of the “old city” and if you are going to visit Florence you should plan to take a tour of this area too. Among the many wonderful things you can see there, in the Oltrarno you will find some of the most extraordinary places of Florence: the Palazzo Pitti, the Boboli Garden and the Forte Belvedere. Beyond this, the Oltrarno is a place where many stories have come to life.

Studying anatomy

In the hospital of the monastery of Santo Spirito Michelangelo refined his technique, by studying the anatomy of the human body. He dissected the dead bodies that were in the hospital in order to observe the muscles. So he increased his capability in the artistic reproduction of the human shapes. Just think what kind of commitment he had with his work!

To thank the Agostinian friars, he realized a wooden crucifix and donated it to the monastery. Today the crucifix is placed in the sacristy so  to allow a 360 degree view.

To better appreciate any work of Michelangelo you should see from all sides. This is the best and perhaps the only way to grasp all their movement and beauty. The posture of Christ in fact is caught in a “movement” that goes beyond death.  This  slender body that reminds us that we are not made for earth nor for death, but for heaven and eternal life.

Opening times

It is possible to visit every day, from 8.30 am to 12.00 pm and from 3.45 pm to 6.00 pm.

The entrance (now paying) is located on the left of the church.