Santa Elisabetta delle Convertite, Romanesque religious building in Oltrarno district, Florence, Italy.
Santa Elisabetta delle Convertite is a church in the Oltrarno neighborhood of Florence combining Romanesque and Baroque features, located at the intersection of Via dei Serragli and Via del Campuccio. The building blends medieval structures with later additions and houses artwork including frescoes depicting religious scenes.
A confraternity of Santo Spirito founded the Augustinian monastery in 1332 on the site of a chapel dedicated to Saint Elizabeth of Hungary; it was inaugurated in 1333. It accepted repentant prostitutes and became one of Florence's largest but poorest nunneries. In 1624 it incorporated the birth house of Saint Philip Neri. Suppressed in 1808, it later housed the Omnibus society and the Pio X Artigianelli institute.
The name "delle Convertite" refers to the repentant prostitutes the monastery accepted from 1332; they were buried in the church near the confessional, like the nuns. The convent drew income from a share of fines levied by the Ufficiali dell'Onestà and Ufficiali di Notte, and a 1614 petition to Grand Duke Cosimo II defended this arrangement. Since 2015 the church has served Florence's Georgian Orthodox community.
The church is open to visitors during the week for religious services and exploration of its architecture. Checking opening hours in advance helps ensure a smooth visit to this neighborhood landmark.
In 1624 Grand Duchess Maria Maddalena of Austria had the convent enlarged and incorporated the birth house of Saint Philip Neri, born there in 1515. She obtained the favour after a crucifix kept in the church was carried in procession to Palazzo Pitti for the health of her son Ferdinando II.
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