There’s a magical place not far from the heart of Florence and its Renaissance art. A place dear to the Florentines, a terrace over Florence from which you can admire the city, on top of a hill that has been home to a church built in Romanesque style for centuries, hiding secrets and works of great charm. Are you ready to discover the history of the San Miniato al Monte Abbey?
Un underrated era
Florence is said to be the “Cradle of the Italian and world Renaissance.” However, this does not mean that in the Florentine capital there are only art and architecture attributable to that prosperous and prolific historical period for Italian artists. The period that preceded this splendid era was called the “Dark Ages” because it was very different from the centuries that had preceded that period, the classical era, and from those that would come after, the Renaissance itself. We are of course talking about the Middle Ages, an era underestimated by historians and scholars but which has also left rare gems of absolute value. One of these is located not far from the center, not far from the Boboli Gardens: we are talking about the San Miniato al Monte Abbey, one of the most important monuments of Romanesque architecture in Florence.
Love at first sight
You reach the Abbey by walking along the long Viale Michelangelo. Once arrived, two elements immediately catch the eye: the staircase in white travertine and the geometric facade, decorated with white and green marbles.
Who was San Miniato?
San Miniato was the first martyr of the city of Florence; a Greek merchant by origin, he came to Italy and more precisely to Tuscany to make a pilgrimage. He was beheaded in 250 in Florence during the Christian persecutions, and legend has it that, although he was beheaded, the saint’s body continued to walk to the place where the Abbey now stands, built in this holy place precisely to commemorate the martyr during the 8th century.
The external and internal architecture
The facade is in pure Florentine Romanesque style: a triumph of geometries that enhance its front, enriched by the white marble of Carrara. The lower band is characterized by five round arches supported by columns in green marble from Prato. The upper part allows us to perceive the symmetrical division of the church, with the presence of three naves. The evident bichromy that characterizes the building, with the use of white and green, is typical of the taste of Florentine builders, including Filippo Brunelleschi, who also used it for the Baptistery of San Giovanni in Florence.
The interiors are surprising for their magnificence. The inlaid floor is among the most precious in the Florentine capital and undoubtedly deserves a thorough stop at the Chapel of the Crucifix by Michelozzo, which originally housed the Crucifix that is now in Santa Trinita. Legend has it that the crypt contains the bones of San Miniato.
Useful Info
Access to the Abbey is through the monumental staircase with a panoramic view of the city. The church is open for Mass from Monday to Saturday at 7 am; opening for tourists, however, is at 9:30 am. On Sundays, it opens at 8:15 am. In winter, it closes at 7 pm, while in summer, it extends to 8 pm.
