Church of San Gallo, Religious building in Florence, Italy
The church and monastery of San Gallo stood outside Florence's walls near today's Piazza della Libertà and were razed in 1529; nothing remains. Founded by 1218 beside a pilgrims' hospital, the church was enlarged in the 15th century by Giuliano Giamberti for Lorenzo de' Medici, who nicknamed him "il Sangallo". Its artworks, including Andrea del Sarto's Noli me tangere, are now in the Uffizi and Galleria Palatina.
The church was built around 1218 and underwent several periods of rebuilding before being destroyed in 1529 during the Siege of Florence. This siege marked a turning point for the city and resulted in the loss of many structures throughout the area.
The church's name passed to the nearby Porta San Gallo and then to Via San Gallo. Lorenzo de' Medici, as Vasari reports, nicknamed the architect Giuliano Giamberti "il Sangallo" after his work here, and the family of architects and sculptors were thereafter called "da Sangallo". Works once in the church are now elsewhere: Andrea del Sarto's Noli me tangere at the Uffizi, his Annunciation and Disputation on the Trinity at the Galleria Palatina, Fra Bartolomeo's Lamentation also at the Palatina, and Francesco da Sangallo's wooden crucifix in the vestibule of the Cappella dei Pittori at the Santissima Annunziata.
The former church site is reachable from Florence's city center and is served by public bus connections. Since the structure no longer stands, visitors can explore the location and surrounding area to understand its historical context.
The church gave its name to the nearby Porta San Gallo and then to Via San Gallo. Lorenzo de' Medici nicknamed the architect Giuliano Giamberti "il Sangallo" after his work here, and the name passed to the whole family of architects and sculptors. Vasari wrote that in his own day no trace of the monastery remained.
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