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Santa Maria Novella
Train Station
Stazione Centrale di Santa Maria Novella (PHONE: 8488/888088)
is Florence's main station and is centrally located.
The Train
Station is in the center of the city, near S. Maria
Novella place. In this place there are many bus stops
of the ATAF bus Lines. A lot of them crosses the center
in all directions, and many ATAF bus lines stop around
the station and their location and destination is shown
in the following picture. For detailed bus stops location and time
table, ATAF
on Line.
links: firenzesantamarianovella.it ATAF
bus stop: ataf.net
Address: FIRENZE S. MARIA
NOVELLA STATION - piazzale della Stazione - 50123 Florence
- Italy.
When traveling to Florence, be sure to
avoid trains that stop only at the Campo di Marte or Rifredi
stations, which are not convenient to the center.
The History
In the panorama of Italian railway stations, Santa Maria
Novella station represents one of the most important architectural
breakthroughs.
Florence’s first railway station, “Leopolda”,
was built in 1844 designed by Robert Stephenson, son of
the railway inventor, also being one of Italy’s first,
placed outside city walls. The second station was constructed
4 years later, called “Maria Antonia”, it was
the first station inside city walls, an important novelty
for the time. Of both stations no trace remains today.
With the agreement reached between the city council
and FS for the construction of the new station, the
national architecture contest was set in 1932 for the
assignment of works on the travellers building, won
by the Toscano group, led by architect Giovanni Michelucci
comprising architects Baroni, Berardi, Gamberini, Guarnieri
and Lusanna. The new station was opened on October 30th
1935. A great atrium covered by the characteristic glass
cascade and a central gallery anticipating in its functions
the one found in Rome.
External coverings take on the city’s colours while
inside, art works and sculptures by artists Ottone Rosai,
Mario Romoli and Attilio Griselli remind of Florence’s
cultural heritage.
The new station was built outside Santa Maria Novella church,
from which it takes its name. Its a masterpiece of rationalism
and one of the most important landmarks in Italy’s
modern architecture.
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