Florence's San Miniato

 

I love to watch the sunset while sipping a glass of wine high above Florence on the Piazzale Michelangelo. It's a vantage point for some of the best (and most photographed) views of Florence, and home to a copy of the David and stands selling souvenirs and crafts.

It's a three mile, mostly uphill, walk from the Ponte Vecchio. Or, you can take the # 12 or 13 bus.

 If you go, I recommend stopping at the ancient church of San Miniato, just above the Piazzale.

San Miniato was begun over 1000 years ago (completed in 1207) on the site where several Christian martyrs are believed to have been buried. St. Minias was a 3rd century Greek, or perhaps  an Armenian prince, who converted to Christianity and ran afoul of the Emperor Decius and his troops outside the gates of Florence.

Some say he was serving in the Roman army when he decided to go AWOL and become a hermit; others say he was on a pilgrimage to Rome when accosted by the Emperor's men and denounced as a Christian.

All accounts agree that St Minias was decapitated for his faith. Legend says that the saint picked up his head, carried it across the Arno, and climbed up the hill to the site of his hermitage where he finally laid down and died.

First came a shrine and later the church of San Minato was built on the site. The Romanesque church was largely financed by the members of the powerful Arte di Calamala (the wool importers guild). You can find their symbol-a bronze eagle clutching a bale of wool in his talons--atop the facade. That facade is a stunning example of Romanesque geometric style in white Carrara and green Prato marble.

The church interior is quite unusual with a raised choir above the crypt. There are beautiful golden mosaics, interesting frescoes, and a magnificent chapel with ceiling decorations by Luca della Robbia.

My favorite bit is the floor with its large zodiac pattern of inlaid marble. The zodiac is frequently found in Christian churches, as the 12 signs were interpreted as symbolic of the 12 Apostles. This zodiac wheel was probably also a sun dial that captured the light from the high windows and showed the time.

Two last things to know: Carlo Collodi, author of Pinocchio is buried is San Miniato.

And, Michelangelo once hastily built fortifications around the church and its adjacent buildings when Holy Roman Emperor Charles V laid siege to Florence in 1530. He is credited with saving the life of a soldier stationed as a lookout in the bell tower. Because the tower would be a target for cannon fire, Michelangelo hung matresses all around it, to soften the blows. The city eventually fell to the siege, the fortifications are long gone, but the church still stands.

San Miniato is free to visit and open every day from 8 am until noon, and then from 2:30 until 6pm (hours change, so check before you go). The Olivetan monks who run the church sell their homemade liqueurs, honey, and tisanes from a small shop next door.

You can see a lovely panoramic image of the church lit up at night here.