San Pancrazio, Florence, Former church and museum in central Florence, Italy
San Pancrazio is a former church in Florence with a four-level structure that combines original ecclesiastical architecture with modern exhibition spaces. The Marino Marini Museum occupies the main area of this deconsecrated building and displays sculpture collections.
The building was founded in 931, possibly during the Carolingian period, and underwent major renovations in the 14th century. These transformations shaped its structure and appearance through the centuries.
The Rucellai Chapel displays a marble sepulchre that Leon Battista Alberti designed in 1467 to echo the dimensions of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. This funerary monument expresses the devotion of a powerful family and shapes the chapel's character today.
The Rucellai Chapel is accessible through the Marino Marini Museum, which occupies the main space of the former church. Visitors should expect to navigate multiple levels and allow time to explore the various rooms.
The building served varied functions over the centuries, including a lottery office, a courthouse, and a tobacco factory before becoming an art museum. These unexpected roles reveal how repurposed sacred spaces adapted to changing urban needs.
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