This church is free to visit and it’s full of unexpected surprises. First thing first, inside you can find numerous artworks by important Florentine artists, including the Crucifix by Giotto. But what else is interesting about the church is who’s buried inside (I know, doesn’t sound too good, but bear with me!). This church is the burial place of Sandro Botticelli, one of the greatest artists ever, and most definitely one of the key figures of the Renaissance. Having been a friend of Lorenzo the Magnificent who has commissioned one too many works for this extra-talented artist, Sandro Botticelli gained prominence under the Medici rule. Although his tomb here is small (it’s located underground with a small mark on the floor, but you’ll see it thanks to his portrait exposed nearby and a little basket with letters that visitors leave near his tomb), it attracts so many people who want to pay their tribute to the man who gifted us with The Birth of Venice and Primavera (both works you’ll find in the Uffizi Gallery, by the way) among many other masterpieces.

A tragic love story. There’s a beautiful but tragic legend linked to why Botticelli was buried there. The church has been long under the patronage of the noble Florentine family of Vespucci - and yes, explorer and navigator Amerigo Vespucci whose name was given to the entire two continents was coming from this family, too. Many of the Vespucci family members are buried in this church as well (including one whose name was Amerigo Vespucci - but not that Amerigo, just his descendent, so don’t be confused). One of the people bearing the Vespucci last name and buried there is a certain Simonetta Vespucci - you might have not heard her name, but you most definitely have seen her face. The thing is, she was the Botticelli’s Venus.

Simonetta Vespucci was the young wife of yet another Vespucci family member (Marco, the cousin-in-law of Amerigo Vespucci, the explorer) during the years when Botticelli was active. Originally from Genoa, upon moving to Florence after the marriage she immediately attracted a lot of attention, including that of Lorenzo de’ Medici and his brother, Giuliano. Her beauty was famous all around Florence and well beyond - no wonder that Sandro Botticelli considered her his muse. While there’s no account of any relationship other than that of a muse and an artist between her and Botticelli, some historians point out that Giuliano de’ Medici was most likely her lover. This story is also beautifully portrayed in the Medici series (yes, the very same series I’ve been talking about before), however, some historians believe that the love story between the two was nothing else than just “courtly love”, focusing on chivalry and admiration from afar. But no matter what kind of relationship linked Simonetta to Giuliano or Botticelli, her story was that of a true star: striking but short-lived. Simonetta died aged only twenty-three and on the day of her funeral, was brought around Florence in an open coffin, dressed in white, so that people could admire her beauty one last time (an honour usually reserved for only the most illustrious personalities). She was buried in the church of San Salvatore in Ognissanti and, according to the legend, it was Botticelli’s request to bury him near his muse and greatest inspiration. The saddest parts of this story? Simonetta’s tomb didn’t survive to our day, as it was either destroyed during the renovations or in one of the floods that have happened in Florence over the centuries.