Building complex of San Firenze

The building complex of San Firenze, with its spectacular façade, is one of the greatest examples of Baroque architecture in the city. In 1640 the Philippian Fathers received a gift of this area which took its name from the church of San Firenze (from the mispronunciation of the name of San Fiorenzo), creating a large complex dedicated to the Florentine San Filippo Neri (founder of the order, canonised in 1622 and protagonist of the Counter-Reformation). Until 2012 it hosted the Court, while now it is home to numerous institutions, including the Franco Zeffirelli Museum, dedicated to the great director.

The particularly ambitious construction lasted for many years, and saw the interventions of Pietro da Cortona, Pier Francesco Silvani, Ferdinando Ruggieri and Zanobi del Rosso. The pietra forte façade, dominated in the center by the coat of arms of the Serragli family (the main benefactors of the order) constitutes a spectacular backdrop to the square. The church, to the left of the complex, has a rich interior created according to a unitary design and decorated with works by the main Florentine artists of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The main theme of the decoration is represented by episodes from the life of San Filippo Neri. The right side of the building houses the Music Room: inside, the choirs in the exedras recall the original function of this environment dedicated mainly to music and the singing. Actually, according to the precepts of San Filippo Neri, music had to play a fundamental role in the liturgy.