The Dominican Church of Santa Maria Novella (St.Mary the New) was built starting from 1279 up to 1360, except the upper side of the facade, done in 1458 by Leon Battista Alberti, who succeeded in conciliating the preexisting Gothic decoration of the lower side with the Renaissance style of the newer part. Particularly interesting are the two lateral volutes in marble covering the connections between the nave and the aislets, which appear here for the first time and were used in many other Renaissance churches.

Inside the church there is the very famous fresco of Trinity by Masaccio, where we find the first strict application of new theories elaborated by Brunelleschi over the optic perspective. At the end of left transept there is the Strozzi Chapel with frescoes by Nardo Di Cione and the polyptych by Andrea Orcagna. Inside Sacristy there are a crucifix by Giotto and an elegant glazed terracotta by Giovanni della Robbia. Inside the Gondi Chapel, near the main altar, there is the wonderful wood crucifix by Brunelleschi, elegant and harmonious, sculpted by the artist in contrast with the realistic and dramatic one by Donatello. The Chorus of the Church is decorated by wonderful frescos by Domenico Ghirlandaio, representing episodes of Virgin Mary's and St.John the Baptist's lives.

Aside the Church there are two beautiful cloisters, the most famous one is the Green Cloister, where are the frescoes by Paolo Uccello. From this cloister we get into the Cappellone degli Spagnoli (Spaniards' Great Chapel), painted at frescos by Andrea di Bonaiuto or Andrea from Florence, Inside refectory is nowadays exposed the Church's treasure.