Ognissanti Church in Florence: Botticelli's Tomb and Two Rival Frescoes
Updated: 1 day ago
Updated October 2026
I am a Botticelli fan, so on the west side of the center I always stop at Ognissanti to visit his grave. Most people walk straight past it. Inside are his tomb, two rival frescoes and a Giotto Crucifix, all free.
Why it is worth the detour
Ognissanti means All Saints. The church was founded in the 13th century by the Umiliati, a religious order of wool workers, and later rebuilt in the Baroque style.
The Vespucci family lived in this parish, and so did a young Sandro Botticelli. The first time I walked in, a wedding was going on, which reminded me that this is still a working neighborhood church.
Botticelli's tomb
Botticelli asked to be buried here, near Simonetta Vespucci, the woman many believe was his model for the Birth of Venus. Look for a simple round marker in the floor of a chapel in the right transept.
It reads "Sandro Filipepi", his real family name. Stand there for a minute and think of the Birth of Venus a ten-minute walk away in the Uffizi.
Two frescoes facing each other
Halfway down the nave, Botticelli's Saint Augustine in His Study faces Domenico Ghirlandaio's Saint Jerome in His Study. Both were painted in 1480 for the same patrons, and you can stand between them and compare.
Botticelli's saint looks up, troubled and intense. Ghirlandaio's is calm and surrounded by carefully painted objects. My guide to the Renaissance masters of Florence tells you more about both men.
Giotto's Crucifix and the Vespucci chapel
A large painted Crucifix by Giotto hangs in the left transept after a long restoration. In the second chapel on the right, Ghirlandaio's Madonna della Misericordia shows members of the Vespucci family sheltering under the Virgin's cloak. One of them is thought to be a young Amerigo Vespucci, who gave his name to America.
Ghirlandaio's Last Supper (temporarily closed)
Next door at Borgo Ognissanti 42, the old refectory holds Ghirlandaio's Last Supper. As of October 2026 it is temporarily closed with no reopening date. If you want to see a Ghirlandaio Last Supper now, there is another one in the San Marco Museum.
Visiting
Address: Borgo Ognissanti 42, on Piazza Ognissanti.
Hours: about 9:00 to 13:00 and 15:00 to 19:30. Closed Tuesday. Check the Florence tourist office hours sheet before you go.
Entry is free. Cover shoulders and knees, and stay quiet during services.
Pair it with
Santa Maria Novella is a ten-minute walk north. For Michelangelo and the Medici, continue to San Lorenzo.
Where to stay nearby
Piazza Ognissanti has two of the city's grand riverside hotels, covered in my guide to the best luxury hotels in Florence. See also where to stay near Santa Maria Novella.
The Vespucci connection
The Vespucci were wealthy silk merchants who lived on Borgo Ognissanti, and the church was their parish. Amerigo Vespucci, the navigator whose name became "America," was baptized in the Baptistery and grew up in this neighborhood.
Look closely at Ghirlandaio's Madonna della Misericordia: the young man among the family under the Virgin's cloak is traditionally said to be Amerigo himself. Standing in front of it, I always think of how far a boy from this quiet street ended up traveling.
Simonetta Vespucci, who married into the family, was celebrated as the most beautiful woman of her day in Florence. She died young in 1476 and is buried here too. The legend that Botticelli asked to be buried at her feet is romantic and unproven, but it has made this church a pilgrimage for art lovers.
How I visit
I come in the late afternoon, after the reopening at three, when the light off the Arno comes through the doors. I start with the two Studies in the nave, then the Giotto Crucifix, then the Vespucci chapel, and last of all Botticelli's grave marker in the right transept.
The whole visit takes about forty minutes. Afterward I walk out onto the piazza, cross to the river and watch the sunset from Ponte alla Carraia, one of my favorite quiet bridges.
The neighborhood
Borgo Ognissanti is lined with antique dealers and small restaurants, and it leads straight to the Lungarno. Piazza Ognissanti itself opens onto the river and is framed by two grand hotels, which makes it one of the most elegant squares in the city. For more lesser-known churches, read my Renaissance Florence guide and San Marco guide.
Other Last Suppers you can see now
Florence has a whole trail of refectory Last Suppers, the cenacoli, painted for monks to look at while they ate. Andrea del Castagno's dramatic version is at Sant'Apollonia near San Marco, and Ghirlandaio's other Florentine Last Supper is in the San Marco Museum. Most are free or included in a museum ticket and almost always quiet.
When the Last Supper reopens
When the Cenacolo reopens, it is expected to keep short hours, Thursday to Saturday mornings. I will update this post as soon as it does. Ghirlandaio painted the Last Supper more than once, and seeing the one at Ognissanti alongside the San Marco version is a lovely way to see how his ideas changed.
The Umiliati and the wool trade
Ognissanti, All Saints, was founded in the 13th century by the Umiliati, a religious order from Lombardy who supported themselves by working wool. They settled by the Arno because they needed the river to wash and dye cloth, and they helped turn this western edge of the city into a busy wool district.
Florence's wealth was built on cloth, so this church is part of the story of how the city became rich enough to pay for the Renaissance. In the 1500s the Franciscans took over, and they still care for the church today.
The baroque facade
Ognissanti was one of the first churches in Florence with a baroque facade, designed by Matteo Nigetti in the 1630s and later rebuilt in travertine. It looks very different from the marble fronts of Santa Maria Novella or Santa Croce.
Above the door is a glazed terracotta lunette of the Coronation of the Virgin in the style of the della Robbia workshop. The bell tower, from the 13th century, is the oldest part you can see.
Saint Francis's habit
In a chapel off the transept, the friars keep a relic said to be the habit worn by Saint Francis when he received the stigmata in 1224.
It is kept in a reliquary and shown on special days. Whether or not you are religious, it is a moving sight in a quiet church that sees far fewer visitors than the Duomo.
Why Ognissanti feels different
What I love most here is the calm. You can sit in front of Botticelli's Saint Augustine and Ghirlandaio's Saint Jerome with almost no one else around, a contrast with the crowds in front of Botticelli's work in the Uffizi.
This is a living parish church, so masses are held through the day. Visit outside service times, dress with shoulders and knees covered, and keep your voice low.
A riverside walk afterwards
Leaving the church, I walk along the Lungarno to Ponte alla Carraia and cross to the Oltrarno, or head east along the river to Ponte Santa Trinita for the view of the Ponte Vecchio. Piazza Ognissanti, facing the river, is lined with grand hotels and makes an elegant spot for a coffee.
Combining it with Santa Maria Novella
Santa Maria Novella is a ten minute walk north. I visit both on the same morning to compare Ghirlandaio's frescoes in the Tornabuoni Chapel there with his work here.
FAQ
Is Botticelli buried in Ognissanti?
Yes, in a chapel in the right transept, under his family name Filipepi.
Can I see Ghirlandaio's Last Supper at Ognissanti?
Not right now. The refectory is temporarily closed.
Is the church free?
Yes.
When is Ognissanti church open?
Roughly 9:00 to 13:00 and 15:00 to 19:30, closed Tuesday. Check the city tourist office sheet before you go.
Is Amerigo Vespucci connected to Ognissanti?
Yes. The Vespucci family lived in the parish, and Amerigo is traditionally identified in Ghirlandaio's fresco in the family chapel.
About the author
I'm Jason GaNung, and I write every guide on Florence Life. I have spent extensive time in Florence over many trips, and I have stayed in many of the hotels and villas I cover, so my picks come from my own stays, not press releases. More about me.
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