Located in the square of the same name and adjacent to the railway station in the northwest of the old part of Florence, the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella is one of the most important churches in the Italian city.

As of October 22, 1919, it is recognized as a minor basilica.

It's on the list of places to visit before you die. In the 9th century, a tiny oratory was dedicated to Santa Maria della Vina; on top of this was constructed in 1049 the church of Santa Maria Novella, which was granted in 1221 to a group of Dominican friars commanded by Friar Giovanni da Salerno who had recently arrived in Florence from Bologna. Sisto of Florence, Jacopo Pasavanti, and Ristoro de Campi were three of the friars responsible for the 1279 expansion of the church. It was dedicated by Pope Eugene IV in 1420 after being finished about the middle of the 13th century.