Cappella Rucellai, Florence

The small temple of San Sepolcro is at the center of the 14th-century chapel which is annexed to the church of S. Pancrazio, the current home of the museum Marino Marini. It was designed by Giovan Battista Alberti, the architect who was also commissioned to build the family palace. The harmonious proportions of the temple and its antique style make it one of the most important examples of Florentine renaissance architecture. The work was finished in 1467, and was based on the size of the Santo Sepolcro in the Holy Land. The interior frescoes represent the Death and Resurrection of Christ, and Alberti, inspired by the writings that covered the ancient Roman monuments, has inscribed a verse from the Evangelism of St. Mark, dedicated to the Virgin.