Who designed the Pazzi Chapel?

Filippo Brunelleschi planned the geometric layout, while scholars also attribute the execution and detailing to architects including Giuliano da Maiano and Michelozzo.

Where is the chapel situated?

The building is located in the cloister on the southern flank of Basilica di Santa Croce in Florence.

What was the chapel used for historically?

The space served as a chapter house for monastic governing meetings, a classroom for monks, and a burial site for the Pazzi family.

What artwork is displayed inside the chapel?

The interior features glazed terracotta decorative roundels by Luca della Robbia and a painted depiction of star constellations on the altar dome.

What architectural materials are used in the interior?

The interior uses dark pietra serena sandstone for decorative pilasters, arches, and panels set against masonry walls.

Florence · Italy

Pazzi Chapel: what's nearby, how to get there and when to go · 2026

Residents living near Santa Croce plan their routines around convent access hours to catch the cloister before tour groups arrive.

Pazzi Chapel · CC BY-SA 4.0

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About the place

Andrea Pazzi commissioned the chapter house as a family mausoleum and an assembly hall for the Franciscan monks.

The chapel stands within the cloister of Santa Croce as a meeting hall for the monastic chapter and a burial site for the Pazzi family. Geometric planning governs the interior through combinations of squares and circles. While historical records associate Filippo Brunelleschi with the layout, later master builders executed the masonry. The rectangular hall adapts to pre-existing convent walls.

Read on

Dark sandstone pilasters articulate the whitewashed plaster, creating decorative framework rather than structural support. Luca della Robbia designed glazed terracotta roundels depicting the seated Apostles alongside porch ceiling reliefs. The smaller cupola above the altar features a star chart depicting the sky during the Council of Florence, which formalised union between the Eastern and Western churches.

Associations

Filippo BrunelleschiScholars attribute the geometric floor plan to him while questioning later masonry.
Luca della RobbiaProduced the glazed terracotta apostle tondi and porch cupola reliefs.
Pietra SerenaDark sandstone creates decorative interior articulation across structural walls.
Porch Façade ObscurityLater portico construction partially conceals the original lower exterior register.

Facts

The interior pilasters made of pietra serena serve a decorative rather than load-bearing function.
The altar cupola contains a constellation painting representing the sky during the Council of Florence.
Glazed terracotta roundels inside depict the Four Evangelists holding open books.
The structure stands inside the cloister of the Basilica di Santa Croce.

Updated September 10, 2026Source: Wikipedia

Pazzi Chapel: what's nearby, how to get there and when to go · 2026

What is around53

Andrea Pazzi commissioned the chapter house as a family mausoleum and an assembly hall for the Franciscan monks.

Getting there and staying

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