As many Aleteia readers may know, Florence has no shortage of Catholic sights. From Santa Maria Novella, considered one of the most iconic examples of Renaissance architecture, to the towering Gothic basilica of Santa Maria della Croce, the city is dotted with breathtaking churches.
Many of us may not know, however, that hidden behind the bustling streets of Florence’s historic city center lies a tiny, unassuming church that forever shaped the life of Italian poet Dante Alighieri, author of the Divine Comedy.
Walking along the Via del Corso, from Via del Proconsolo towards Via Calzaiuoli, on the left, you’ll find an arch. Venture past it and you’ll land in front of Santa Margherita dei Cerchi.
Dating to at least 1032, this small church structured around a single nave with two lateral altars is the place where Beatrice, Dante’s muse, attended Mass every morning. As literature lovers may know, Dante was smitten with Beatrice and was inspired by her to write his poetic cycle Vita Nova, as well as featuring Beatrice as his guide in the last book of the Divine Comedy, the Paradiso, where she symbolizes divine grace.
In 1353 the church was patronized by the Cerchis family, hence the name, and attended mostly by local families. Beatrice used to live across the street from Santa Maria dei Cerchi, inside Palazzo Portinari, a palace that belonged to her family. As detailed by blogger Gabriella Bazzani in the online magazine Florence City, Dante used to live in the area too, in Piazza San Martino, and first gazed at his beloved while attending Mass at Santa Maria dei Cerchi.
According to local tales, the supreme poet would stand on his balcony every morning to look at Beatrice as she crossed the street to attend Mass. A pre-Raphaelite painting located near the entrance captures the moment where the poet first met his beloved. (This was only one of two times, separated by nine years, when the two met. Dante's "love" was purely imaginary, as were many of the romances celebrated in Renaissance poetry.)
Today, the church hosts the remains of Folco Portinari, Beatrice’s father. While there is a signpost to indicate this as the resting place for Beatrice, too, most historians dispute this fact – Beatrice was married to a local nobleman and she is likely buried in her husband’s family tomb.
Nevertheless, many admirers of the Florentine muse come to visit this church, leaving messages for her in a basket near her father’s tomb, spending minutes in quiet contemplation to appreciate the significance of the place where one of the most famous poetic love stories of history began.
