Basilica San Miniato al Monte
Church overlooking the city of Florence
Basilica di San Miniato al Monte is situated on a hilltop in Florence near Piazzale Michelangelo, in the Oltrarno quarter. It is considered to be one of the finest examples of Romanesque architecture in Tuscany. It became an appreciated destination for those who are interested in seeing something different from the usual tourist itinerary.
The story
The church, dedicated to Saint Minias of Florence, was originally built in 1018 by Bishop Alibrando on the remains of an ancient Roman temple. The Benedictine monks of Cluny started the construction of the new church to replace the older one (dating back to the 5th century).
On April 8, 1252, the old basilica was destroyed by fire due to a strike of lightning. The rebuilding works lasted until 1331. During this period, the basilica acquired some Gothic elements such as pointed arches and small vaults; these were combined with elements typical of Romanesque art, such as majolica tiles from Liguria and Verona.
The basilica suffered heavily during World War II. However, it was restored to its original glory in 1956.
A "jewel box" among churches
The interior contains a large fresco by Taddeo Gaddi depicting The Last Supper with Jesus, Peter and the Twelve Apostles during Passover, located on the wall behind the high altar. There is a massive mosaic decoration on the church's facade created by followers of Coppo di Marcovaldo.
The bell tower also contains some notable examples of Tuscan Romanesque sculpture. The central door dating from 1430 originally had a Gothic-style architrave replaced during restoration work with a new design by Luigi de Cambray-Digny and Domenico Pantanin because they tried to restore the original Romanesque appearance.
It's bliss to see the upper stage of the bell tower, which is decorated with a green and white marble facade and a marble statue of St Miniatus as protector over Florence.
