Santa Maria Novella Tour: Scents & Secrets of the Dominican Friars

Behind the famous Renaissance façade lies the story of an order of friars who were scientists, theologians, and guardians of millennia-old secrets. This alternative tour will take you on a journey to discover the lesser-known side of Santa Maria Novella.

We won’t be giving the typical art history lecture: we’ll explore the bronze astronomical instruments used to change the global calendar, decipher the political messages hidden in Ghirlandaio’s frescoes, and descend into the cloisters where the “Hounds of God” ran the Florentine Inquisition.

We’ll conclude the tour in front of the historic Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica, uncovering the fragrances and remedies created by the friars since the Middle Ages.