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On the southern side of Piazza Santa Maria Novella, there is the loggia of the Hospital of Saint Paul ( Ospedale di San Paolo), founded in the 13th century and enlarged in the 15th century, with the addition of a portico. Completed in Renaissance style by Leon Battista Alberti in 1470, at the behest of the wealthy merchant Giovanni Rucellai, the beautiful facade of the church can be admired from any point in the square. The facade of the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella dominates the square.

The two marble obelisks, works of Bartolomeo Ammannati, were erected around the same time.Ĭlosed to traffic in the late 1980s, the square was recently restylized, and a new pavement was added. Later, the square became, thanks to its size, the setting for competitions such as Palio dei Cocchi (a race with carriages), established by Cosimo I in 1563. The square was built starting with 1287 on the initiative of the Municipality of Florence, and completed around 1325.

Piazza Santa Maria Novella is a beautiful square in Florence, located in the western part of the historical center of the city.

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