Perched on one of the highest hills overlooking Florence, the basilica of San Miniato al Monte is one of the finest examples of Tuscan Romanesque architecture in Italy and one of the most beautiful churches in the city. Begun in 1013, it was built on the spot where, according to tradition, the early Christian martyr Saint Miniato was buried after his execution in the third century. The facade is the building most famous feature, a precise composition in white Carrara marble and green serpentine from Prato, with a glittering gold mosaic of Christ and the Virgin in the gable above. The pattern of geometric panels would inspire later Florentine churches, including the more famous Santa Maria Novella in the centre below. Inside, the basilica preserves a remarkable thirteenth-century inlaid marble floor whose patterns of zodiac signs and animals are among the most striking medieval pavements in Italy. The raised choir at the eastern end and the crypt beneath it, where the relics of the martyr lie, give the interior an unusual stepped layout closer to a Byzantine plan than a typical Italian one. The wooden ceiling, the intarsia woodwork in the choir, the frescoes in the side chapels and the marble pulpit all repay slow looking, and the Cappella del Crocifisso, designed by Michelozzo for a much-revered crucifix in the fifteenth century, is a small gem within the larger church. The basilica remains an active monastic foundation, run by the Olivetan Benedictines, and Gregorian chant still echoes through the nave at the daily offices, drawing visitors who come for the music as much as for the architecture. The terrace in front of the church offers one of the great views of Florence, looking down across the city to the dome of the cathedral and out to the hills beyond, and the climb up to the basilica from the centre, whether on foot through the cypress-lined paths or by bus, is amply rewarded by the building and the view alike. A small monastic shop near the entrance sells honey, herbal liqueurs, soaps and other products made by the monks, in a Benedictine tradition shared with the great abbeys of Tuscany. The adjoining cemetery, the Cimitero delle Porte Sante, contains the graves of several notable Florentines, including the writer Carlo Collodi, creator of Pinocchio. Gregorian chant accompanies vespers each afternoon in the upper choir, an experience that draws music lovers and pilgrims alike, and a steep flight of steps below the church links it to the famous Piazzale Michelangelo, the busiest viewpoint over the city below.

Type: Tourist Attraction

Address: Via delle Porte Sante 34, Florence, Italy

Website: https://www.sanminiatoalmonte.it

Opening Date: 01/01/1013