Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
importers) who financed
the church in the Middle
Ages. The restored 13th-
century mosaic below the
gable shows Christ, the
Virgin and St Minias. Inside
the church, the High Altar
is raised above the nave
and there is a Byzantine-
style mosaic in the apse,
again of St Minias with Christ
and the Virgin. Below this is
the crypt, built using columns
salvaged from ancient Roman
buildings. The floor of the nave
is covered with seven marble
mosaic panels of lions, doves
and the signs of the Zodiac
(1207); similar intarsia work
panels can be seen on
the raised marble
choir and
d'Agnolo, but was never
finished. Cannons were
installed here to shoot at
the Medici troops during
the Siege of Florence
(see
pp52-3).
The cemetery
9
surrounding the church
opened in 1854 and this
contains tombs the size of
miniature houses, built to
show off family wealth.
Leave San Miniato by an
arch in the buildings to the
west and follow the path that
13th-century mosaic on San Miniato façade
pulpit. In the north wall is the
funeral chapel of the 25-year-
old Cardinal of Portugal,
Iacopo di Lusitania, who died
in Florence in 1439. Antonio
Rossellino carved the figure
of the cardinal guarded by
angels on the elaborate marble
tomb (1466). The terracotta
roundels on the ceiling, show-
ing the Holy Spirit and Virtues,
were sculpted by Luca della
Robbia (1461). Outside, the
massive belltower was begun
in 1523 by Baccio
1*";;"
.&/5"/"
San Salvatore al Monte
0
1*";;"
/*$0-"
%&.*%0''
threads down to the church
of San Salvatore al Monte
0
.
Here steps lead down to the
Viale Galileo Galilei; take a
right turn to reach Piazzale
Michelangelo
q
. The piazzale
was laid out in the 1860s by
Giuseppe Poggi, and is dotted
with copies of Michelangelo's
famous statues. It is lined with
souvenir stalls and has far-
reaching views over the roof-
tops of central Florence.
Either take the No. 13 bus
back to the city centre, or the
stone steps on the west side
of the piazza down to Porta
San Niccolò
w
, a 14th-century
gateway in the city
wall. Go left
along Via di San
Niccolò and Via
de' Bardi,
lined with
medieval
buildings. This
includes the
13th-century
Palazzo de'
Mozzi
e
on
Via de' Bardi; the
Museo Bardini
r
(see p119)
is
opposite. From
here you can
return along the
Arno to the
Ponte Vecchio
1
.
1*";;"
%&h
.0;;*
1*";;"
(*64&11&
10((*
F
9
K
$
7 *
-
E
Piazzale
Michelangelo
San Miniato
al Monte
TIPS FOR WALKERS
1*";;"%&(-*
6/("/&--*
Starting point:
Ponte Vecchio.
Length:
3 km (2 miles).
San Miniato al Monte:
Open Apr-Oct: 8am-7:30pm
daily; Nov-Mar: 8am-1pm,
2:30-6pm daily.
Stopping-off points:
There are
several cafés along the route.
KEY
Walk route
Viewing point
0 metres
500
David
in Piazzale
Michelangelo
q
0 yards
500
