Built in Gothic style and later given a mannerist facade, this 14th-century church shelters some of the city's finest frescoes. Right of the main altar, paintings (1483–85) by Ghirlandaio depict the life of St Francis of Assisi through portraits of illustrious Florentines of the time in Cappella Sassetti, (pop €0.50 in the slot to illuminate the frescoes). In Cappella Bartholini Salimbeni, the gated side chapel, Lorenzo Monaco's Annunciation (1422) sits above the altar and wall frescoes illustrate the life of the Virgin Mary.
Look out for the crest of the Bartholini Salimbeni family on the floor of the chapel – it features poppies and the motto 'Per Non Dormire' (For Those Who Don't Sleep), a reference to the fact that the family fortune resulted from the acquisition of an important cargo of wool from Northern Europe. The deal was sealed unbeknown to their business rivals, who had been doped with opium-laced wine at a lavish party the night before the cargo was due to arrive in Florence.
