San Marco

In 1299 there was laid the first stone of a church and monastery by the Silvestrine monks. The church, dedicated to St Mark the Evangelist, was made up an old 1200th oratory. The church, consectrated in 1300, take still now part of this period (es. the Annunciation, entering, on your right)

The convent and the church was finally assigned to the Domenicans in 1418. They began to recontruct the church, which was in terrible condictions, in 1437. The Medici family, have a great part in this work, before with Cosimo il Vecchio en then with his grandson Lorenzo il Magnifico. They give the directions of works at the architect Michelozzo, who also built the convente Library. Here, the fist library in modern time to open to the general public, was conserved the Greek and Latin codices of the humanist Niccolò Niccolini.

Medicis also give to Beato Angelico the convent painting job. Also now is possible to admire it’s divine stile, the same who make him the appellative of “Angelico” (like an Angel).

At the end of Magnifico’s period Fra’Gerolamo Savonarola was guest of San Marco convent.

In 1580 the interior of San Marco received a new changed, following the Counter-reformation spirit. To mention the new Gianbologna’s altar.

The last modification of the church structure is made by Pierfrancesco Silvani in 1678. In this period the church assumed its present appearance.