The Skulls of Santa Croce

The Basilica di Santa Croce in Florence is the burial place of many legendary Italians such as Michelangelo, Galileo, and Rossini, earning it the nickname "The Temple of Italian Glories." Bodies are interred in the church and as one wanders around, one walks over the tombs of so many Florentines whose lives unfolded just outside the doors. And on the tops of these tombs, which are flush with the floor, are beautiful images of skulls rendered in marble.


Photos by JEF