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The church of Santa Maria Novella was founded in 1279. According to tradition, the church was designed by Dominican lay brothers inspired by the examples of Gothic Cistercian architecture. The construction was finished in 1357, the church was consecrated by Pope Martin V in 1420.
The church is in the form of a "T" having a nave and two aisles. The ceiling is vaulted and the arches and windows are pointed. The arches of the three naves are sustained by clusters of slim stone columns with sculpted leaf capitals.
The nave leads to the main chapel which until 1485 was under the patronage of the Ricci and Sassetti families. The patronage was took over by Giovanni Tornabuoni in 1485.
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