Liturgy
Liturgical life
Visitors wishing to pray may enter the basilica free of charge during opening hours. The mass is celebrated on the high altar every day. Visitors may seek confession or discuss their spiritual needs with the Franciscan friars at any moment during the liturgical day.
Anyone wishing to book a private mass or other liturgical activities can send a request to this email address: sacrestiasantacrocefirenze@gmail.com
Mass on weekdays and on the eve of religious or public holidays | 6 pm |
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Mass on Sundays and religious holidays New Year's Day (1 January), Epiphany (6 January), Easter, Feast of St. Anthony of Padua (13 June), Assumption (15 August), Feast of St. Francis of Assisi (4 October), All Saints (1 November), Immaculate Conception (8 December), Christmas (24 December), Boxing Day (26 December). | 11 am and 6 pm |
Confession Daily | 10-12 am and 4-6 pm |
Recital of the Rosary From Monday to Friday | 5.30 pm |
Prayer in front of Donatello's Crucifix Daily | 15.30 |
Holy Mass for Our Lady of Loreto On Tuesday, December 10th, a special mass will be celebrated at 10.00 am by the Archibishop of Florenc eon the occasion of the Feast of Our Lady of Loreto, patron of Military Aeronautics. |
Admission for worship
To attend 6.00 pm mass on weekdays and holidays you should enter the basilica via the side door on Largo Bargellini, while to attend 11.00 am mass on Sundays and holidays you should use the north aisle door at the front of the church. Both doors are fitted with ramps for ease of access.
Admission is always free of charge for those wishing to pray. Visitors wishing to pray should use the side door on Largo Bargellini which is always open during regular visiting hours. Religious services are held in the nave before the high altar, where all masses are also celebrated.
Area for worship
Visitors wishing to pray in the basilica will find the area reserved for worship in the Niccolini chapel. They may access this area free of charge during regular opening hours and during mass.
Liturgical celebration in the basilica
The Franciscan community today
Santa Croce has maintained its original identity over the centuries as a place of prayer, worship and the transmission of faith through art. That is the primary purpose of the various religious activities still performed by the Franciscan community today, along with a range of cultural activities associated with the initiatives of the Santa Croce Library and the magazine Città di Vita, both founded by the Friars Minor Conventual.
The Santa Croce Library
The library, which opened in 1944, promotes the study of theological disciplines and of themes associated with Franciscan spirituality and art. Its collections include inventories, annals and periodicals specialising in Franciscan and theological studies and the social and human sciences. The archive houses part of the documentation produced between the 14th and 20th centuries and material from Franciscan archives suppressed throughout Tuscany in the 19th century. The library is open to all those wishing to further their historical, artistic and religious studies. Its reading room, situated inside the Franciscan convent, may be used by prior appointment.
Città di Vita - City of Life
Founded in 1946, Città di Vita is the Basilica of Santa Croce's bimonthly magazine focusing on religion, art and science. Initially intended for the Theological Studies for Laymen established in many regions of Italy following the example set by Santa Croce, the magazine offers a lively, up-to-date insight into revealed thought allowing readers to experience the deep vibrancy of theology in respect of the problems that assail the spirit of today's world. You can find out a great deal more about the activities of Santa Croce's Community of Friars Minor Conventual on our website: www.santacrocefirenze.it
