The Brancacci Chapel inside Santa Maria del Carmine contains what many art historians consider the founding documents of Renaissance painting. Masaccio and Masolino began the fresco cycle around 1424; Masaccio's contribution — particularly The Tribute Money and The Expulsion of Adam and Eve — introduced a new naturalism, emotional depth, and command of perspective that influenced virtually every Florentine painter who followed. Filippino Lippi completed the cycle in the 1480s after both earlier painters had died.
Numbers are strictly limited (a maximum of 30 visitors at a time), and advance booking is strongly recommended, especially in peak season. The chapel sits within a working church rather than a museum, which gives it an unusual intimacy. Allow time to walk through the rest of Santa Maria del Carmine as well — the Baroque nave was rebuilt after a 1771 fire, but the Brancacci Chapel survived intact because the Riccardi family (then its owners) intervened.