San Miniato al Monte: places in Florence you shouldn't miss

15 August 2024 Florence

One of the columns we are most fond of is undoubtedly the one in which we tell the story (including secrets, mysteries and legends) of some places in Florence, sometimes better known even to the general public of tourists and visitors, other times real "hidden" gems of the city.

In fact, we believe that one of the added values of our facility is to be able to advise you-including through this blog-how to make the best use of your visiting time. Instead of suggesting the classic routes beaten by everyone, getting lost in kilometer-long queues or choosing inappropriate times, we will be happy to be able to recommend curiosities, unexplored beauties and unmissable buildings that are scattered throughout the historic center of Florence, a paradise for lovers of art and architecture.

Speaking of which, today we drop by the Abbey of San Miniato al Monte, an iconic symbol of the Tuscan capital.

San Miniato al monte: the view

Situated on the top of a hill-a stone's throw from Piazzale Michelangelo-that completely overlooks Florence, the view from the Abbey of San Miniato al Monte reveals itself in a breathtaking panorama that will be among the most striking and indelible memories you will take home from your trip to Florence.

History and legends:

An outstanding example of Romanesque art, the abbey was begun to be built in 1013.What strikes the visitor on arriving is the majesty of the facade, a typical example of Florentine Romanesque, in which white marble and Prato green blend elegantly, surmounted by the bronze eagle soaring overhead.

Several legends and mysteries surround this place but among the most curious and exciting ones we find the:

Headless saint
Beheaded by the emperor Decius in the year 250 A.D., the saint-who in part of the legend is said to have been an Armenian prince-walked away without his head until he arrived at the very spot where the abbey stands today. There, on the hill, he still lived some time as a hermit;
Number 5
Long the subject of esoteric studies and symbology, the Abbey of San Miniato al Monte is distinguished by the presence of the number 5, whose symbolic correspondence can be juxtaposed both with the Sun but also with spiritual essence, the quintessence;
Sunshine
A stylization of it, speaking of symbols, is also found in the center of the Romanesque mosaic on the floor of the Abbey;
Pelican
The presence of the animal, naturally in a symbolic key, has several readings, the matrix of which has been much debated.
The zodiac
The zodiac question has also been much discussed over the ages, particularly the sign of Cancer, which stands inscribed in a circle like a target so during the summer solstice, when light, thanks to the ingenious and very fine architecture, filters in from the outside stops right on it.