Firenze Santa Maria Novella railway station

Infobox Station
name=Firenze Santa Maria Novella
type=Italian national railways (Ferrovie dello Stato)


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image_caption=Main concourse
address=Piazza della Stazione, Florence
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opened=1934
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Firenze Santa Maria Novella or "Stazione di Santa Maria Novella - Firenze SMN" is the main national and international train station in Florence, Italy.

History

The station was designed in 1932 by a group of architects known as the "Gruppo Toscano" (Tuscan Group) of which Giovanni Michelucci and Italo Gamberini were among the members; the building was constructed between 1932 and 1934. The plan of the building, as seen from above, was based on the fascio littorio, the symbol of Mussolini's fascist movement. The building is one of the key works of Italian modernism, but has little to do with the Italian Rationalism movement, being more strongly influenced by the Viennese architecture of Loos and Hoffman, with perhaps a nod to Wright; but it is the building's complete originality that makes it outstanding. The competition to design the station was controversial but the approval by Mussolini of the Gruppo Toscano project was hailed as an official acceptance of modernity. The station was designed to replace the aging Leopolda Station and to serve as a gateway to the city centre.

The Gruppo Toscano was only responsible for the main frontal building of the station. The platforms, benches, etc., were all designed by the official Ministry of Communications architect, Angiolo Mazzoni. The benches and baggage shelves illustrated on this page were not part of the Gruppo Toscano project.

While it is of a 'modern' design, the use of pietra forte for the station's stone frontage was intended to respond to and contrast with the nearby Gothic architecture of the church of Santa Maria Novella. The interior of the station features a dramatic metal and glass roof with large skylights over the main passenger concourse, which is aligned perpendicular to the tracks and acts as a pedestrian street connecting one side of the city with the other. The skylights span the passenger concourse without any supporting columns, giving a feeling of openness and vast space and reinforcing the convergence of all the public functions of the station on the passenger concourse.

Near track #8 is a memorial plaque in remembrance of the train loads of Jews who were deported from Italy to Nazi concentration camps during World War II.

Notes and references

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External links