The most important Gothic church in Tuscany, begun by Dominican friars in 1246 and largely completed by 1360, with Alberti's elegant marble facade added in 1470. The interior contains some of the most significant painting in Florence outside the major museums: Masaccio's Holy Trinity (c.1427), painted with such precise perspective that it appears to recede into a real barrel vault, is one of the foundational works of Renaissance painting. Ghirlandaio's Tornabuoni Chapel frescoes are vivid and worldly. Giotto's monumental painted crucifix is in the sacristy.
The adjacent cloisters include the Spanish Chapel, entirely frescoed by Andrea di Bonaiuto in the 14th century. Santa Maria Novella is also the station district — the basilica is five minutes' walk from the main train station, making it the first great church many visitors encounter.