Neighborhood 48H guide
Santa Maria Novella: Where to Stay & What to Do in 48 Hours
The marble basilica and the station quarter.
By the main station, Santa Maria Novella has the Dominican basilica with its green-and-white facade and frescoes, and the Museo Novecento across the square. It’s the handiest base for day trips.
Photo gallery
Photo: Armin Kleiner · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Why stay here
Next to Firenze Santa Maria Novella station, ten minutes from the Duomo.
Who it's for: Day-trippers and train travelers.
Pros
- Train links
- Hotel choice
- Flat walk
Cons
- Busy near the station
- Less charm
- Traffic
48H in Santa Maria Novella
Basilica, modern art.
10:00 – Santa Maria Novella
Masaccio’s Trinity and the cloisters.
14:00 – Museo Novecento
20th-century Italian art.
Named recommendations
Real places with links to their official site or a Maps place page. We do not invent hours, prices, or ratings.
See / do
See / do
Basilica di Santa Maria Novella
Piazza di Santa Maria Novella
Dominican basilica with Masaccio’s Trinity and frescoed chapels.
Photo: Armin Kleiner · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons Official site / map →See / do
Museo Novecento
Piazza di Santa Maria Novella 10
20th-century Italian art in a former hospital on the square.
Official site / map →
Where to stay
Specific named properties—not vague city-wide searches. Expedia stays use tracked Creator links; others open the hotel's official site.
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Hotel · Expedia
Hotel Santa Maria Novella
Santa Maria Novella
Hotel on the basilica square, with a roof terrace.
Check rates on Expedia →
Vacation rentals
Prefer an apartment or whole home in this neighborhood? Browse Vrbo listings for Santa Maria Novella.
Since 1 January 2025, every Italian short-term and tourist rental must have a national identification code (CIN), shown in every online listing and outside the building. Hosts face fines of €800–8,000 for having no CIN and €500–5,000 for not displaying it. Before booking on Vrbo, check that the listing shows a CIN.
Browse vacation rentals in Santa Maria Novella on Vrbo →Other ways to spend 48 hours in Florence
- Duomo — Brunelleschi’s dome and the Bargello.
- Signoria & Ponte Vecchio — The Uffizi, Palazzo Vecchio and the old bridge.
- Santa Croce — Michelangelo’s tomb and a collector’s palace.
- Sant’Ambrogio — The Synagogue and Michelangelo’s house.
- Oltrarno — Pitti Palace, Boboli and Santo Spirito.
- San Lorenzo — The central market and the Medici.
- San Marco & Santissima Annunziata — Michelangelo’s David and Brunelleschi’s loggia.