Excellence Luxury Villas · Santa Croce
Luxury Apartments in Santa Croce, Florence
Palazzo apartments and roof terraces in the Florentine quarter of Michelangelo's tomb, the market and the river
As featured in
The Florence that Florentines still live in
Santa Croce is the eastern quarter of Florence's historic centre, a short walk from the Duomo yet noticeably more lived in. Its great Franciscan basilica holds the tombs of Michelangelo, Galileo and Machiavelli, and its streets lead to a working food market, small artisan workshops and some of the city's most dependable trattorie. By evening the piazza belongs to people who live here, which is rarer in Florence than you might think.
Our Santa Croce collection runs to 70+ apartments, most of them in old palazzi. They range from compact flats for two to family apartments with roof terraces, saunas or river views, and the largest has 7 bedrooms.
Here is how to make the most of the neighbourhood, and when to come.
Santa Croce at a glance
- Apartments
- 70+ in Santa Croce, with up to 7 bedrooms
- Guide prices
- Typically £2,700 to £6,600 a week, from around £2,200
- Highlights
- The Basilica of Santa Croce, the Bargello, Casa Buonarroti and Sant'Ambrogio market
- Best time
- April to June and September to October; June for the Calcio Storico
- Getting there
- Florence airport around 20 to 30 minutes by taxi; Pisa around an hour or so
Browse all 70+ properties in Santa Croce
Villa numbers and guide prices are updated daily from our live collection.
Palazzo Michelangelo Santa Croce: Luxury 3-Bedroom Apartment with Sauna in Santa Croce – Florence3 bedrooms
Palazzo Fiorentino Croce: Elegant 4-Bedroom Luxury Apartment with Air-Con – Santa Croce4 bedrooms
Palazzo Crocetta Florence: Luxury 4-Bedroom Apartment with Historic Charm – Florence4 bedrooms
Palazzo Magnifico Santa Croce: Elegant 6-Bedroom Apartment with Rooftop Terrace – Florence6 bedroomsNearby in Florence
Santa Croce for the basilica, the market and evenings among Florentines, with the Duomo, the Ponte Vecchio, the Accademia and the Pitti Palace all within an easy walk.
Where Florence buries its great men
The Basilica of Santa Croce is the largest Franciscan church in the world, and the Italians call it the Temple of the Italian Glories. Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli and Rossini all lie here, and Dante has a monument, although he is buried in Ravenna, a point the Florentines still mention with some regret.
Go early for Giotto's frescoes in the Bardi and Peruzzi chapels, then the Pazzi Chapel in the cloister, Brunelleschi's lesson in perfect proportion. Behind the church, the leather school still trains craftsmen in the old Franciscan dormitory.
Explore Florence
Sculpture, Michelangelo's house and a morning market
The Bargello, a medieval prison turned sculpture museum, keeps Donatello's bronze David and works by Michelangelo and Cellini, and it is rarely as crowded as the Uffizi. On Via Ghibellina, Casa Buonarroti holds two of Michelangelo's earliest reliefs, carved when he was still a teenager.
To the east, Sant'Ambrogio is the market where Florentines actually shop: stalls of artichokes, porcini in season and cheese outside, butchers and a lunch counter within. An apartment here means you can cook with what you bought that morning.
Search apartments in Santa Croce
Football in costume, and a walk to the best view in town
Each June, Piazza Santa Croce is covered in sand for the Calcio Storico, a brutal Renaissance mix of football, rugby and wrestling played between the city's four historic quarters. The final falls on 24 June, the feast of St John, patron saint of Florence. Tickets go quickly.
On quieter evenings, cross the Ponte alle Grazie to San Niccolò and climb to Piazzale Michelangelo for the sunset over the domes and towers, then walk back along the Arno for dinner.
Browse apartments near the Ponte Vecchio
Lampredotto, gelato and the right months
This is a good quarter to eat in. Try lampredotto, the tripe sandwich Florentines are fond of, at a market stall, then a bistecca alla fiorentina at a trattoria, and gelato on the walk home. The Santa Croce streets have some of the oldest gelaterie in the city.
Spring and early autumn are the best times to come. July and August are hot and busy, and November brings new olive oil and quieter museums. Our concierge can book Uffizi and Accademia tickets, cookery classes and tables.
Ask our conciergeFeatured properties in Santa Croce
Palazzo Dante Santa Croce: Luxury 3-Bedroom Apartment with Terrace – Santa Croce Florence3 bedrooms · sleeps 6From £7,630 a week
Villa Levante Belmonte Firenze: Luxury 3-Bedroom Villa with Air-Con & Terrace in Santa Croce – Florence3 bedrooms · sleeps 6From £7,021 a week
Palazzo Albero SantaCroce: Elegant 4-Bedroom Apartment with Historic Charm – Santa Croce4 bedrooms · sleeps 9From £6,944 a week
Villa Ambrato San Frediano Santa Croce: Luxury 3-Bedroom Penthouse with Jacuzzi & Terraces – Florence3 bedrooms · sleeps 7From £6,860 a week
Villa Levante Peretola Santa Croce: Elegant 3-Bedroom Apartment with Historic Charm – Florence3 bedrooms · sleeps 6From £6,860 a week
Palazzo Santi Santa Croce: Lavish 3-Bedroom Apartment with Historic Charm – Santa Croce Florence3 bedrooms · sleeps 7From £6,573 a week
Palazzo Medici Santa Croce: Elegant 3-Bedroom Luxury Apartment in Santa Croce – Florence3 bedrooms · sleeps 6From £6,545 a week
Palazzo Verdi Santa Croce: Elegant 3-Bedroom Apartment with City Views – Florence3 bedrooms · sleeps 6From £6,538 a weekWhy book your apartment in Santa Croce with Excellence Luxury Villas
The right house, not the nearest one
Santa Croce's apartments vary a great deal in light, noise and stairs, and we know which are quiet at night, which have lifts and which terraces look over the rooftops. With 70+ properties in Santa Croce, we can usually find the house that suits you rather than the one that happens to be free. Search by size, pool, location and price, or tell us what you have in mind and we will put together a shortlist.
Book direct
You book with us directly, with no booking fees. Questions about access, parking, pool heating or how far it really is to the nearest beach go to people who can find out the answer.
A concierge who knows the territory
Skip-the-queue museum tickets, private guides for the basilica and the Uffizi, cookery classes, Calcio Storico tickets, restaurant tables and airport transfers. Our concierge team arranges all of it, leaving you free to decide which terrace to sit on.
A house for every kind of party
Couples, families with small children, three generations together or a crowd of friends celebrating a birthday: we match the house to the group, down to the number of bathrooms and whether the pool is fenced.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Santa Croce a good area to stay in Florence?
Yes. It is central, with the Duomo around ten minutes' walk away, but feels more residential than the streets around the cathedral. The basilica, the Bargello and Sant'Ambrogio market are all on your doorstep, and the restaurants serve as many locals as visitors.
When is the best time to visit Santa Croce?
April to June and September to October bring warm weather and long evenings without the heat of high summer. Come in June if you want to see the Calcio Storico in Piazza Santa Croce, with the final on 24 June.
Can I drive to my apartment in Santa Croce?
It is best not to. Most of Florence's historic centre is a limited traffic zone watched by cameras, and unauthorised cars are fined. Everything in Santa Croce is walkable, and we can arrange a car for days out into Tuscany.
Can you arrange a private chef at a apartment in Santa Croce?
Yes. Our concierge can arrange a private chef for a single dinner or your whole stay, along with cookery lessons, guided visits, transfers and restaurant reservations.
How much does a luxury propertie in Santa Croce cost?
Across our 70+ properties in Santa Croce, weekly rates typically range from £2,700 to £6,600, with the most affordable from around £2,200 a week and the largest estates well above. Prices depend on the size of the property, its location and the season, with July and August the most expensive. These are guide prices based on current listings; each property page shows its own rates for your dates.
How do I get to Santa Croce from the airport?
Florence airport is around 20 to 30 minutes away by taxi. Pisa airport has more flights from the UK and is around an hour or so away by train or car. Our concierge can arrange private transfers to your apartment.
Are there apartments in Santa Croce for large groups?
Yes. Our Santa Croce collection includes properties with up to 7 bedrooms. Tell us the size of your party and the occasion, and we will send a shortlist that suits it.
Explore More Destinations
Find your apartment in Santa Croce
70+ apartments in Santa Croce, booked direct with our Florence concierge on hand