The Renaissance Facade of Santa Maria Novella
When Italians wished to transform their churches into the Renaissance style, they did not tear them down; they gave them a new facade. At Santa Maria Novella in Florence, the architect Leon Battista Alberti designed a facade that was inspired by classical models—hence the round-arched entranceway and columns. At the same time he paid tribute to the original Gothic church by including a round window. (Scala / Art Resource, NY.)