Walk n.4 - A walk to visit the Oltrarno churches

This fourth itinerary leads to the discovery of the materials used to make important Florentine churches located in Oltrarno district (in Florentine also called Diladdarno), i.e. the area of Florence located on the left bank of the river Arno. The walk starts at the Chiesa di Santa Felicita (stop 1), continues to the Chiesa di San Felice (stop 2), Basilica di Santa Maria del Carmine (stop 3), and Chiesa di San Frediano in Cestello (stop 4)  and ends to the Basilica di Santo Spirito (stop 5).

In the Chiesa di Santa Felicita the decorations of the windows, the arches of the portico and the access stairs are in Pietra Serena Sandstone. The portico columns of the façade are in Pietraforte Sandstone, as the coats of arms and the arched decoration in the upper part. The tomb monument on the right of the façade is in Apuan Marble and veined Marble. The façade is entirely plastered. 

The façade of the Chiesa di San Felice in Piazza is made of Pietraforte Sandstone, Pietra Serena Sandstone and Plaster. The external side wall is realized by raw stone constituted by Pietraforte Sandstone, and Alberese Limestone held together by Mortar and partly by Bricks and Plaster.

In the Basilica di Santa Maria del Carmine the base of the façade is made of Pietraforte Sandstone with decorations of Pietra Serena Sandstone; the door frame is realized by using Pietraforte Sandstone; around the door frame, the façade is plastered. The upper façade is made of raw stone mainly constituted by Pietraforte Sandstone with additions of Pietra Serena Sandstone, rare pebbles of Alberese Limestone and Bricks held together by Malta.

The façade of the Chiesa di  San Frediano in Cestello is a rough face made with filaretti of Pietraforte Sandstone, Pietra Serena Sandstone, Bricks and, in minor amounts, Alberese Limestone held together with Mortar; the Pietra Serena Sandstone is also used in the finish of the portal, in the access stairs and besides in the finishes of the windows at the base of the dome. The base of the dome, made with Bricks, is plastered.

The façade of the Basilica di Santo Spirito is plastered, whit its lower part in Pietra Serena Sandstone. The staircase, the churchyard, the decoration of the central rose window, the finishing of the façade doors, the decorations of the higher part of the façade,  the side windows and  the rose windows, the lower part of the cornices and the coats of arms of noble families, above the windows, are in Pietra Serena Sandstone. The bell tower is in Pietraforte Sandstone. The dome and the roofs of the entire complex are in Bricks.