The Saint Mary Basilica-Sanctuary in Impruneta

The Saint Mary Basilica-Sanctuary is known as a place where the devotion to Our Lady is professed from ancient times, when an Our Lady's Holy Image was found in Impruneta. In 1060 the Basilica was consecrated for the will of the Cardinal Umberto of Siva Candida.

The religious building shows a late sixteenth-century form. Its facade is preceded by a fine porch, under which it is possible to admire a relief portraying the "Our Lady, the Child and the Saints John Baptist and Evangelist".

By the right side of the Basilica rises an imposing crenellated bell tower, whose building goes back to the XIII-th century.

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The interior has just an aisle. It was restored at the beginning of the XX-th century according to Reinassance features.

Once entered the Basilica it is possible to admire two marble-made founts dating back to the XVI-XVIIIth century and on the internal facade, a sixteenth-century organ.

The Saint Mary Basilica saves numerous art works coming from the Della Robbia and Michelozzo's workshops and also fine paintings by Jacopo Chimenti (1554-1640), called the "Empoli", like that one portraying the "Saint Peter's Vocation".

Close to the four side altars there are numerous altarpieces like the "Saint Lorenz's Martyrdom" painted by Cosimo Gamberucci (1560-1621) and the "Saint Sebastian's Martyrdom" by Matteo Rosselli (1578-1650).

Very interesting are the two shrines placed on the two side of the presbitery, the "Cappella della Croce" (Cross Chapel) and "Cappella della Madonna" (Our Lady Chapel), whose insides are rich of precious objects, marble-made sculptures an fine paintings.

From the Saint Mary Basilica it is possible to reach the Silvani Hall hosting the "Museo del Tesoro di Santa Maria all'Impruneta" (Museum of the Our Lady's Treasure in Impruneta).

The Museum is divided into two sections: the Section of the Silverwares, showing a collection of goldsmithery and crystal-made objects, and the Section of the Miniated Codes that saves eleven manuscripts dating back to the XIV-XVth century.