Convento delle Oblate, Franciscan convent in central Florence, Italy

The Convento delle Oblate is a Franciscan convent in central Florence featuring traditional religious architecture with chapels and shared community areas. A library now occupies much of the space, providing study rooms and reading areas throughout the building.

The site's medieval core is the battlemented Torre di Careggi, a stronghold held over the centuries by the Vecchietti, Temperani and Medici families. In 1936 the Oblate of Santa Maria Nuova moved here from their convent in the city, after restoration work by Giulio Cirri. The art they brought from the old seat, from 13th-century panels to a wooden crucifix attributed to Giuliano da Sangallo, is kept in the chapter rooms, chapel, sacristy and refectory.

The convent now serves as a public library and cultural hub where Florence residents and visitors study and gather in quiet spaces. The way people use these rooms today shows how a religious site has become an important community meeting place.

The convent is centrally located and easy to access, with modern facilities including elevators and wireless internet for visitors. The spaces work well for both individual study and group activities.

The convent incorporates the Torre di Careggi, a crenellated stronghold that belonged to the Vecchietti, Temperani and Medici families before the Oblate of Santa Maria Nuova moved here in 1936, after restoration by Giulio Cirri.