"Originally a house of Silvestrine monks, who moved to San Giorgio dello Spirito Santo to make way for the Dominicans, who took possession here in 1436, after which date they rebuilt the whole complex at the expense of Cosimo de Medici, between 1437 and 1452. Michelozzo, the Medici's favourite architect, designed the church, cloister, library and friars' quarters. Fra Angelico worked with Michelozzo for eight or nine years, until he was summoned by the Pope to Rome in 1445 to work in the Vatican.
Facade of church built 1777-78 to designs by Gioacchino Pronti.
The church was much altered in 17th Century, but the monastery remained largely untouched.
The Dominicans were expelled in 1866 and the first cloister became a museum.
Giovanni Pico della Mirandola and Angelo Poliziano are buried here.
The church itself is a bit disappointing after the delights of the complex next door - an aisleless box by Michelozzo with a very gilt-scrolly ceiling - but it has some nice bits of uncovered fresco fragments and the chapel of Sant'Antonio at the end on the left has some good mannerist stuff, including an altarpiece of The Descent into Limbo by Allori. "
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