San Miniato al Monte: The Martyr Who Walked Up the Hill
Why is it significant?
Turn around at the top of the staircase before you look at the church: the whole of Florence is spread out beneath you, red roofs, white bell towers, the dome floating above everything.
Key Facts
| Place | San Miniato al Monte: The Martyr Who Walked Up the Hill |
|---|---|
| Address | Via delle Porte Sante 34, 50125 Firenze FI, Italy |
| Geo Coordinates | 43.75940, 11.26510 |
| Part of Walk | Florence's Green Hill: Bardini Garden, San Miniato & Piazzale Michelangelo |
| Generated | Generated |
Turn around at the top of the staircase before you look at the church: the whole of Florence is spread out beneath you, red roofs, white bell towers, the dome floating above everything. Then turn back to the facade, a geometric pattern of green and white marble, crowned by a golden mosaic and, at the very top, a bronze eagle clutching a bale of cloth.
The legend behind this place is a strange one. Miniato was a Christian, perhaps a soldier or a prince from the East, executed in Florence around the year 250. The story goes that after his head was cut off, he picked it up, crossed the Arno, and walked up this hill to the place where he wished to be buried. A chapel marked the spot, and in 1018 Bishop Hildebrand began the church you see now.
The eagle on top is not a religious symbol. It is the badge of the Calimala, the guild of the cloth merchants, who paid for the upkeep of the church for centuries and wanted everyone to know it. Inside, the floor of the nave holds a marble zodiac dated 1207, and some scholars believe it was placed so that, on certain days, sunlight from the windows falls on particular signs.
Look up at the bell tower beside the church. During the siege of 1529 and 1530, the imperial gunners tried to destroy it, because the defenders had placed cannon on top. Michelangelo, the story goes, had the tower wrapped in mattresses and bales of wool, which absorbed the cannonballs. It still stands.
Behind the church lies the cemetery of the Porte Sante, a hillside city of marble angels and family chapels. Among those buried there is Carlo Lorenzini, better known as Collodi, the Florentine who gave the world Pinocchio. The Olivetan monks who live here still sing their prayers in Gregorian chant. Now walk back down the staircase and follow the road downhill to the great open terrace just below.