Baroncelli Chapel, Gothic chapel in Basilica of Santa Croce, Florence, Italy
The Baroncelli Chapel occupies the southern end of the transept in the Basilica of Santa Croce, displaying frescoes that cover its walls from floor to vault. These religious images show episodes from the life of the Virgin Mary and transform the space into a visual narrative for those who enter.
The chapel was commissioned in 1328 by five members of the Baroncelli family, a wealthy lineage that paid for both the construction and decoration. An artist named Taddeo Gaddi spent years painting the walls, creating the frescoed scenes that fill the space today.
The frescoes narrate biblical episodes through innovative techniques, including foreshortened architecture and early examples of nocturnal scenes in Italian art.
You reach the chapel by walking through the Basilica of Santa Croce, which means you will see this space as one part of the larger church. The frescoes were carefully restored in 2007 and can be viewed in good condition today.
At the chapel entrance stands a two-sided tomb monument carved with figures representing the Annunciation, a rare placement for such a scene. This sculpted moment acts as a threshold, marking the passage between the main church and the chapel beyond.
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