Mendicant church of Florence~

On Sunday I visited the five churches of the mendicant orders built at the end of the 13th century to accommodate the growing population in Florence. Unlike the monastic orders of the Benedictines, the mendicant friars of these orders established themselves within the fabric of city life, preaching and ministering to the burgeoning population.

    A new development in city planning was the piazza in front of the church to accommodate the people and provide a stage for preaching. City walls were expanded to enlarge the city area to include these churches, which formed points on a circle, with the new cathedral Santa Maria del Fiore at the center.

Santa Maria Novella (Dominican)
Santa Croce (Franciscan)
Santissima Annunziata (Servite)
Santo Spirito (Augustinian)
Santa Maria del Carmine (Carmelite)
Santa Marie del Fiore (Cathedral)

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