The piazza is dominated by the beautiful Basilica di Santo Spirito, built according to the design of Filippo Brunelleschi and completed at the end of the 15th century. The facade was never finished and today it is a simple and fascinating plastered surface. The interior of the church is a treasure chest of important art works, including a wooden crucifix by Michelangelo and works by Filippino Lippi, Sansovino, Orcagna, Giuliano da San Gallo.
The piazza is surrounded by 15th century houses, among them Palazzo Guadagni, built at the beginning of the 1500s. Its characteristic upper loggia established a fashion and served as a model for a number of other aristocratic palazzi around Florence. The ground floor of this building served as Florence's first public library which opened in 1914.
At the centre of the piazza rises a fountain made of pietra serena.
