In 1848 the Grand Duke Leopoldo di Lorena inaugurated two stations in Florence: the “Leopolda” near Porta al Prato and the “Maria Antonia” which was built very near the apse of S. Maria Novella church.
It was thought of as a little station but as time went by it acquired more and more importance just for its being in the heart of the historical Florentine centre.
In 1932 a competition was advertised for the reconstruction of the old building of the Maria Antonia Station, decaying and inadequate by now. The awarded project was the one presented by a group led by the Tuscan architect Giovanni Michelucci.
The station was inaugurated on 30th October 1935 by the King himself, a year and a half before the opening of the “direttissima”.
It is equipped with sensible structures and excellent functionality in evident contrast with the architectonic rules of that time.
The six big pillars that support the roofing were covered with green marble slabs.
The front body with the public services has a covered area of 9,200 sq.m.
DANTE'S FLORENCE
Florence is one of the most visited cities in the world: we suggest a tour of Dante's Florence, the city where he was born in 1265.
There is a place in Florence that is considered Dante’s neighbourhood. It is enclosed within Piazza della Signoria, Orsanmichele, the Tower of Castagna, the oratory of Buonomini of San Martino and the Badia Fiorentina: in short, it is the medieval heart of Florence, wedged between the stone houses the rising towers.
In this small part of the city, we also find the Dante House Museum, which was built in 1906 in the area originally occupied by the homes of the Alighieri family. Close to the House, the Oratory, which took care of the needy, overlooks the little square of San Martino. In the vicinity of the House there is Dante’s Church, Santa Margherita de’ Cerchi.
Here, a wedding was celebrated between Dante Alighieri and Gemma Donati; within these walls, in their graves rest both the Donatis and the Portinaris, the relatives of the angel-like woman, Beatrice, whom Dante met right here. Beatrice was born in the street called via del Corso, where the Salviati Da Cepparello Palace now stands. The itinerary dedicated to Dante cannot be complete without visiting “mio bel San Giovanni” (my beautiful St. John), which is the Baptistery of Florence, where Dante was baptized. The area is only ten minutes from Santa Maria Novella Train station.
