Porta San Miniato and the Road of the Crosses

Why is it significant?

Stop beside the little gate and take a good look at it: just a simple arch cut through the thickness of the wall, no tower, no statue, no drama. Porta San Miniato was never meant for armies or merchants. It was a door for pilgrims, for the people of this quarter going up to their church on the hill.

Key Facts

Open the walk

Stop beside the little gate and take a good look at it: just a simple arch cut through the thickness of the wall, no tower, no statue, no drama. Porta San Miniato was never meant for armies or merchants. It was a door for pilgrims, for the people of this quarter going up to their church on the hill.

Ahead of you, a steep lane climbs between walls and gardens. Its name is Via del Monte alle Croci, the street of the mountain of the crosses, because it was once lined with the Stations of the Cross, and the faithful climbed it on their knees, praying at each one. Some small stone stations still stand along the way.

In 1529 this slope became the front line. The Florentines had expelled the Medici and declared a republic, and the Medici pope, Clement the Seventh, made peace with the Emperor so that the imperial army could put the family back in power. The Republic appointed none other than Michelangelo as governor of its fortifications, and he raised earth bastions around San Miniato, on the hill above you, because whoever held that height could fire straight into the city.

On the way up, you will pass a calm church with a plain facade, San Salvatore al Monte. Vasari tells us that Michelangelo loved its simplicity so much that he called it la bella villanella, the pretty country girl. It is a lovely compliment from a man who rarely gave them.

The climb is short but steep, and the reward is worth every step. Follow the lane and then the long monumental staircase up to the top of the hill, to the green and white marble facade that you will see shining through the cypresses... the basilica of San Miniato al Monte.