Opera di Santa Croce
Opera di Santa Croce is a Florence-based non-profit that manages the historic Santa Croce Franciscan complex — its basilica, cloisters, and nearly 4,000 artworks — serving cultural tourists, students, the religious community, and event organizers through ticketed visits, AR experiences, tours, and donations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersFlorence, Italy
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Opera di Santa Croce does
Opera di Santa Croce is a private Italian non-profit organization established to manage and preserve the Santa Croce monumental complex in Florence, a Franciscan site whose basilica was founded in 1294 and which spans approximately 12,000 square meters, including the church, three cloisters, the Pazzi Chapel, the Cenacolo, museum, and historical archive housing nearly 4,000 works from the 1200s to the 1900s — among them masterpieces by Giotto, Donatello, Brunelleschi, and Michelangelo, plus the tombs of Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli, and Rossini. The organization serves individual cultural tourists, students and families, the Franciscan religious community, and external event organizers through in-person visits, audio guides, themed guided tours, educational programs, and cultural events such as the Genius Loci festival.
Its core technology platform centers on the 2024 'Santa Croce in Extended Reality' product — an augmented reality visitor experience running on dedicated multimedia devices over 5G millimeter wave infrastructure, developed with TIM Enterprise, Qualcomm Technologies, and Reply, and offering two themed 30-minute routes ('I Grandi di Santa Croce' and 'Il Percorso Francescano'). This sits alongside the 'In Toscana con Dante' mobile app and a standard online ticketing system at ticket.santacroceopera.it. Restoration work, including ongoing projects on the Giotto Bardi Chapel frescoes (in partnership with Opificio delle Pietre Dure, ARPAI, and Fondazione CR Firenze), represents both a heritage-protection activity and a recurring project pipeline.
The business model combines direct-to-consumer transactional revenue (online and on-site ticket sales, guided tours, audio guides, event hosting) with donations and fundraising (5x1000 tax donations, Art Bonus contributions, club and institutional financing such as Inner Wheel Club Firenze Medicea). Distribution is split between self-serve online ticketing, a physical ticket office at Piazza Santa Croce 16, and combined ticket reselling with other Florence heritage institutions. The organization is governed by a Board led by President Irene Sanesi (appointed March 2025) and operates with a small staff of 11–50 employees.
Opera di Santa Croce firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Opera di Santa Croce
- Legal name
- Opera di Santa Croce
- Website
- https://santacroceopera.it
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Opera di Santa Croce is a Florence-based non-profit that manages the historic Santa Croce Franciscan complex — its basilica, cloisters, and nearly 4,000 artworks — serving cultural tourists, students, the religious community, and event organizers through ticketed visits, AR experiences, tours, and donations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Opera di Santa Croce industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cultural Heritage Site Management
- NAICS
- Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Museums (712110), Historical Sites (712120)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Art Museums (THAJADAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Iconic Architecture & Signature Buildings (Cathedrals, Palaces, Castles) (THAJACAE), Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums) (THAHAAAG), Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM)
Keywords
Where Opera di Santa Croce is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Florence
- HQ country
- Italy
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Opera di Santa Croce business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Ticket Sales: Revenue from admission tickets to the monumental complex, purchased online or at the physical ticket office.
- Donations and Fundraising: The organization accepts donations and has a 5x1000 tax donation program. They also conduct international fundraising campaigns for restoration projects.
- Event Hosting: Revenue from hosting events including concerts, conferences, and cultural activities in the complex spaces.
- Specialized Visits and Guided Tours: Revenue from thematic visits, guided tours, and special opening arrangements.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Standard admission tickets |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Opera di Santa Croce product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Opera di Santa Croce is a religious and cultural heritage institution that manages the monumental complex of the Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence, Italy. It sells admission tickets to visitors and tourists, offers guided tours, hosts cultural and religious events, and operates educational and conservation programs. It also develops extended-reality experiences and runs a mobile application tied to the site visit.
Product overview
Opera di Santa Croce manages the monumental complex of Basilica di Santa Croce in Florence, extending over approximately 12,000 square meters with the basilica, three cloisters, Pazzi Chapel, Cenacolo, museum, and archives. The organization offers in-person visit services to the complex which houses nearly 4,000 works spanning from the 13th to 20th century. The product portfolio includes traditional visits with audio guides and guided tours, the innovative Santa Croce in Extended Reality experience using AR devices and 5G technology, the 'In Toscana con Dante' mobile app for digital exploration, cultural events organization including the annual Genius Loci festival, and educational programs for various audiences. Online ticket booking is available through their platform. The organization focuses on preserving and promoting the religious, artistic, and cultural heritage of the site.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- The complex spans approximately 12,000 square meters with diverse spaces including basilica, chapels, cloisters, and cenacolo.
Companies that use Opera di Santa Croce
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Opera di Santa Croce technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Opera di Santa Croce partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- Comunità dei Frati Minori ConventualicoreThe Franciscan friars community collaborated on the 'Percorso Francescano' as part of the Extended Reality project, providing religious and historical context.
- TIM EnterprisecoreTIM Enterprise partnered with Opera di Santa Croce to develop and deploy the 'Santa Croce in Extended Reality' project, providing 5G technology and multimedia devices for an innovative visitor experience using augmented reality technology.
- Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.supportingQualcomm Technologies collaborated on the Santa Croce in Extended Reality project as a technology partner, providing expertise for the augmented reality experience.
- ReplysupportingReply served as software developer for the Santa Croce in Extended Reality project, developing the application software for the augmented reality visitor experience.
- Controradio ClubcoreControradio Club co-organized the Genius Loci festival with Opera di Santa Croce, a cultural event featuring music, theater, dance, and literature performances in the monument complex.
- ControradiocoreControradio collaborated on the Genius Loci festival, providing radio broadcast coverage and media support for the cultural event.
- Comune di FirenzesupportingThe City of Florence provided support for the Genius Loci festival through Estate Fiorentina 2018 program.
- Città Metropolitana di FirenzesupportingThe Metropolitan City of Florence contributed to the Genius Loci festival organization.
- La Nottola di MinervasupportingLa Nottola di Minerva collaborated with Opera di Santa Croce on the Genius Loci festival organization.
- Opificio delle Pietre DurecoreOpificio delle Pietre Dure collaborated with Opera di Santa Croce on the restoration of Giotto's frescoes in the Bardi Chapel, providing expertise in art conservation.
- ARPAIsupportingARPAI (Associazione Restauratori Professionisti di Affreschi e Pitture Murali) partnered on the Giotto Bardi Chapel restoration project.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Opera di Santa Croce competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks4 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Opera di Santa Croce social profiles
Digital presenceOpera di Santa Croce compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Opera di Santa Croce financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Opera di Santa Croce leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Opera di Santa Croce funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Opera di Santa Croce M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Opera di Santa Croce
What does Opera di Santa Croce do?
Opera di Santa Croce is a religious and cultural heritage institution that manages the monumental complex of the Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence, Italy. It sells admission tickets to visitors and tourists, offers guided tours, hosts cultural and religious events, and operates educational and conservation programs. It also develops extended-reality experiences and runs a mobile application tied to the site visit.
Is Opera di Santa Croce a public or private company?
Opera di Santa Croce is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Opera di Santa Croce founded?
Opera di Santa Croce was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Opera di Santa Croce based?
Opera di Santa Croce is headquartered in Florence, Italy, in the Europe region.
How does Opera di Santa Croce make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are donations and Fundraising, event Hosting and specialized Visits and Guided Tours.
Does Opera di Santa Croce have an API?
No public API is recorded for Opera di Santa Croce.
What industry is Opera di Santa Croce in?
Opera di Santa Croce's product category is Cultural Heritage Site Management. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAJADAA, Art Museums, with a secondary code of THAJACAE, Iconic Architecture & Signature Buildings (Cathedrals, Palaces, Castles). Its NAICS code is 712.