Orsanmikele Church
Description:
Between the Duomo and Ponte Vecchio, approximately at an equal distance from them (about 200 - 300 meters) is one of the most unusual churches in Florence - the Church of Orsanmichele. At this place in the 8th century there was a convent with vast lands and a small church dedicated to St. Michael the Archangel and located near the monastery garden. For this, the church received its strange name - "St. Michael by the garden" - San Michele in Orto, more simply - Orsanmichele.
Among the features of the external appearance of Orsanmichele are the delicate stone processing, the arcades of the first floor (the church was formerly a loggia), wonderful Gothic windows decorated with marble, on the lower tier - the already mentioned tabernacles with the image of saints and, slightly above, medallions with the coats of arms of the Florentine Republic and guilds (some of them are made by the famous Luca della Robbia).
The walls, vaults and pilasters are painted with frescoes by Lorenzo di Bicci, Mariotto di Nardo and Franco Sachetti. The perimeter of the walls and pilasters are also decorated with numerous sculptures of saints.