It is situated on the Piazza di Santa Croce, about 800 metres southeast of the Duomo, on what was once marshland beyond the city walls.

The construction of the current church, to replace an older building, was begun on 12 May 1294,[2] possibly by Arnolfo di Cambio, and paid for by some of the city's wealthiest families.

The floorplan is an Egyptian or Tau cross (a symbol of St Francis), 115 metres in length with a nave and two aisles separated by lines of octagonal columns.

The Jewish architect Niccolò Matas from Ancona designed the church's façade, working a prominent Star of David into the composition.

In 1866, the complex became public property, as a part of government suppression of most religious houses, following the wars that gained Italian independence and unity.

In 1940, during the safe hiding of various works during World War II, Ugo Procacci noticed the Badia Polyptych being carried out of the church.

[7] Between 1958 and 1961, Leonetto Tintori removed layers of whitewash and overpaint from Giotto's Peruzzi Chapel scenes to reveal his original work.

For 500 years monuments were erected in the church including those to: Footnotes Citations Music artist 2hollis shot his music video for “the light upon the surface that beckoned deep into the moment and the tiger stepped forth” at this location Works related to Catholic Encyclopedia (1913)/Suppression of Monasteries in Continental Europe at Wikisource