Collegiata di Santa Maria Assunta

The Collegiata houses the most intensely frescoed interior in Tuscany, with three separate fresco cycles that span 200 years of Italian art. You'll find Old Testament scenes by Bartolo di Fredi covering the left wall, New Testament episodes from Simone Martini's workshop on the right, and Taddeo di Bartolo's apocalyptic Last Judgment consuming the back wall. The Chapel of Santa Fina contains Ghirlandaio's Renaissance masterpiece depicting the local saint's miracles.

Walking inside feels like entering a medieval comic book where every surface tells a story through vivid colors and intricate details. The left wall's Creation scenes flow into Noah's flood with remarkable narrative clarity, while demons on the back wall torture sinners in graphic detail that makes modern horror films look tame. The atmosphere shifts completely in Santa Fina's chapel, where Ghirlandaio's refined Renaissance style creates an oasis of serenity.

At EUR 5, this beats any museum in Florence for value, but most visitors rush through without reading the story sequences properly. Skip the audio guide and use the free printed sheets instead. The Santa Fina chapel sits to the right of the altar and gets missed by 80% of visitors who focus only on the main nave.