Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
emerge at the tower marking
Porta San Niccolò
, all that is left of the city walls. To get an
idea of what the walls were once like, walk south from Chiesa di San Niccolò Oltrarno
through
Porta San Miniato
. The wall extends a short way to the east and for a stretch further
west, up a steep hill that leads you to the fortress.
Piazzale Michelangelo
Turn your back on the bevy of ticky-tacky souvenir stalls flogging
David
statues and box-
er shorts and take in the spectacular city panorama from this vast square, pierced by one
of Florence's two
David
copies. Sunset here is particularly dramatic. It's a 10-minute up-
hill walk along the serpentine road, paths and steps that scale the hillside from the Arno
and Piazza Giuseppe Poggi; from Piazza San Niccolò walk uphill and bear left up the long
flight of steps signposted Viale Michelangelo. Or take bus 13 from Stazione di Santa
Maria Novella.
VIEWPOINT
Basilica di San Miniato al Monte
(Via Monte alle Croce; 8am-7pm May-Oct, 8am-noon & 3-6pm Nov-Apr)
Five minutes uphill
from Piazzale Michelangelo is this wonderful Romanesque church, dedicated to St Mini-
us, an early-Christian martyr in Florence who is said to have flown to this spot after his
death down in the town (or, if you want to believe an alternative version, walked up the
hill with head tucked underneath his arm).
The church dates to the early 11th century, although its typical Tuscan multicoloured
marble facade was tacked on a couple of centuries later. Inside, 13th- to 15th-century fres-
coes adorn the south wall and intricate inlaid marble designs line the nave, leading to a
fine Romanesque crypt. The sacristy in the southeast corner features frescoes by Spinello
Arentino depicting the life of St Benedict. Slap-bang in the middle of the nave is the bijou
Capella del Crocefisso
, to which Michelozzo, Agnolo Gaddi and Luca della Robbia all con-
tributed.
CHURCH
