Chiesa di Santa Maria Maggiore

"If you stand on Via dei Cerretani and gaze up at the exterior wall of Santa Maria Maggiore, high up in the distance you can spot ‘La Berta’, a mysterious stone head which legend says belongs to a woman who was petrified by an alchemist… It is thought that the head has been there since medieval times but unfortunately there are no historic records to explain its origins, which has led locals to come up with many of their own tales. Many people believe that the woman was a victim of Cecco d’Ascoli, an astrologer who was on his way to be burned at the stake in 1326. As Cecco was being taken to his death, he stopped along the street outside the church to ask for a drink of water. Looking out of the church window above him was Berta who shouted down to the crowd to deny him the water and claimed the man would use it to communicate with the devil who would then grant him immunity. In a moment of rage Cecco looked up and petrified the women casting a curse over her to never move again. Other theories are that the head is a memorial to the person who donated the bells to the church; another is that the head belongs to an old Roman sculpture and was used as decoration. The basilica is one of the oldest in the city dating back to 931 but was remodelled towards the end of the 12th century in the Gothic style. The interior is quite simple with one nave and two aisles but includes beautiful stained-glass windows and frescoes which give it a dark and moody feel. Also, within the Northeast corner of the church you can find an extremely interesting carving showcasing one of the angelic angels raising their sword and standing upon a chained demon. "

"The church of Santa Maria Maggiore overlooks the square of the same name on the corner of Via de' Cerretani in the historic center of Florence. It is one of the oldest churches in the city, and one of the first dedicated to the Madonna. The exterior retains traces of the original Romanesque construction of the 10th century. The original bell tower, in pre-Romanesque style, is inserted into the façade to the left of the nave. Towards the end of the 12th century the church was remodeled in Gothic style. During the 15th century the church underwent a sort of crisis that significantly reduced its finances and importance. In the pastoral visit of 1514 by Giulio de' Medici the church was described as being in decay. In 1521 it passed to the reformed Carmelites of the Mantua congregation already located at the church of San Barnaba. The renovation of the complex, by Gherardo Silvani, dates back to that period in the first half of the 17th century, which involved the interior of the church, perhaps based on a previous design by Bernardo Buontalenti."