Rules for Visitors and FAQs

• In view of the site's religious nature all visitors are expected to dress appropriately, covering their shoulders and legs. Disposable robes are available free of charge.
• Santa Croce is both a monument and a house of prayer. As a mark of respect for all, we would kindly ask you to avoid talking and to behave appropriately throughout your visit.
• Please help us to preserve Santa Croce's heritage by not touching the works of art or the monuments, and by refraining from eating or drinking anywhere on the site.
• Souvenir photography is permitted without a tripod or a flash, and strictly for private use only.
• Mobile phones should be switched to silent mode and may only be used for taking photographs.
• Animals are not allowed in the complex. Visitors with impaired sight or hearing who use guide-dogs are kindly requested to produce a statutory declaration.
• Smoking is strictly prohibited throughout the site, including in outdoor areas.

If you have a specific question regarding Santa Croce and you can't find the answer in the list below, just drop us a line at: comunicazione@santacroceopera.it

Why do I have to pay to get into a church?

The Opera di Santa Croce is a non-profit charity that relies exclusively on admission fees and private donations to fulfil its conservation mission. It receives no funding whatsoever from either the government or the Church, so in buying your ticket you're helping us to keep this valuable piece of our common heritage open and vibrant, and to preserve it for future generations.

How long is a ticket valid for?

You can only use your ticket once to visit the site in your chosen time slot. Admittance is by timed quotas only so we would ask you to be extremely punctual. If you show up more than 15 minutes late, staff will decide whether or not to admit you in the next time slot on the basis of the number of other visitors already booked for that slot.

I am entitled to free admission: where can I buy my ticket?

Visitors who are entitled to free admission can obtain their ticket directly at the ticket office of the monumental complex, upon presentation of a document certifying the facilitation. Eligible categories: Florence municipality residents, children under 11, the disabled and their companion, accredited journalists, religious orders, Firenze Card holders and authorized guides.  

Do you have to buy a ticket if you only want to pray or to attend Mass?

Admission is free for anyone wishing to pray or to attend a religious service. Our staff are available at all times, during opening hours, to guide worshippers to the entrance reserved for them and to accompany them to the area set aside for worship.

Is the site accessible to visitors with disabilities?

People with disabilities and their carers are admitted to the site free of charge, either via the ramp at the side of the basilica or via the raised platform at the entrance to the cloister on Piazza Santa Croce. The nave and aisles of the basilica are easy to move about in, and only a handful of areas in the complex suffer from limited access. Visitors with impaired sight or hearing may access the site with their guide-dogs on condition that they can produce a statutory declaration.

How long does it take to vist the site?

Visiting the site in its entirety will take you roughly 50 minutes, but you can make up your own tour and choose to shorten or to extend your stay based on your particular interests. For a richer and more satisfying experience, we recommend using the audio-guide available for hire at the entrance or else downloading the official Santa Croce app on sale through the main on-line stores.

Is there a dress code for visiting Santa Croce?

The basilica of Santa Croce is a consecrated church and thus a place of prayer, so we would ask all visitors to show respect and decorum in their dress. In summer, visitors wearing clothing that fails to cover their shoulders or legs can ask for a single-use kimono at the ticket office before entering the complex. In winter, the complex as a whole can get very cold so we recommend wearing warm clothing. We also recommend wearing comfortable shoes in every season and being especially careful with our centuries-old steps and floors which are often uneven and can get quite slippery.

Can I take photographs?

You can take photographs for your own private use, without using a flash or a tripod and except during religious services. If you wish to take photographs or videos for purposes of study, for scholarly, commercial or editorial use or for the cinema or television, you must request prior authorisation in writing from: comunicazione@santacroceopera.it

Is there a left luggage facility?

Umbrellas and trolley cases are allowed inside the complex but there is no cloakroom or left luggage facility as such. Visitors with trolley cases are kindly requested not to allow them to touch the ground in order to avoid causing damage to the grave slabs on the floor of the basilica.

Where are the toilets?

The toilets are located in the first cloister, close by the exit. Visitors can contact the staff to access the bathroom designed to accommodate people with disabilities.

Where is the Leather School?

The entrance to the Leather School is in Via San Giuseppe 5r, outside the Santa Croce complex proper. To get there, you simply walk along the outside wall of the church's north aisle and transept on Largo Bargellini.

If in this list you do not find the appropriate answer to your questions write to: comunicazione@santacroceopera.it