Basilica di San Miniato al Monte

Ein wunderschöner Ort, mit einer tollen Sicht über die Stadt. Empfehlenswert ist auch der Klosterladen.

Right around the corner of the Pizzale Michelangelo, is this beautiful church and while the views from its front steps are maybe not as spectacular as the ones from the Pizzale, I reckon here you would visit not just for the view, but also the gorgeous frescos adorning the church and the fantastic shop, where artisanal, hand made products can be purchased (pottery, soaps, perfumes, etc).
This church is from the 11^th century, and has the typical Tuscan multicolored green and white marble laid out in geometric patterns and this type of façade you can see also in Sienna Duomo, Church of San Santa Croce and Santa Maria Novella.
What really surprised me is that the interior is completely without lights, so you get to experience the church as folks would have before the advent of electricity. The frescoes adorning the walls of the church still shine bright however and I particularly loved the intricate inlaid marble design that lined the nave. There is also a beautiful mosaic which decorates the façade over a central window, and reminded me of St Marks in Venice.
The church also has a cemetery, with beautiful headstones from thought the ages and is famous as the final resting place of Carlo Collodi, creator of Pinocchio.
The little shop is just fantastic and plenty of locals were here, buying soaps — one lady recommended my buying the parfums and I also saw a lot of herbal, plant– based medicines and creams using very natural ingredients, and hand made by the nuns who still live here! Absolutely worth a visit!

I may sound presumptuous, but I can definitely state that this is the most beautiful church of Florence.
First, to get there, any boulevard you take will cheer you up with the freshness of the trees and those brief glimpses of the city center…
Then you pass the David («Helloooo David»).
Resume your sense of dignity after being completely bulldozed by the view from the terrace, and when you turn your head you see it.
There: majestic and white, symmetric, a symbol reigning over Florence from the top of its hill: San Miniato al Monte Church
Well hurry up, the magic has yet to happen!
Promise you’ll follow my guide:
1) Climb the stairs without ever EVER turning back
2) Once on top, take a few seconds to regain your breath and freeze your gaze on the fantastic masterpiece you have in front of you
3) Draw in the details: the doors, the color of marble, the lights and shadows playing with the angles
4) Before getting in, now, turn your head and look at the panorama
I know — Selfie time.
Visiting the indoor, although it’s quite dark, you can certainly appreciate the frescos.
Don’t forget to visit the crypt and if you are lucky to be there for the chime of the hour, sit, close your eyes and silently wait for the bells to sing its song.
If you are perceptive, you will also feel the vibrations of the bells, a sound that echoes in your body, awakening your good energies.
After you are satisfied with your tour, go out and pay a visit to the pharmacy on your right.
Impossible not to buy something, get there and you’ll see why.
Then, if you still have time, have a walk in the cemetery.
I know it sounds creepy, but there are pieces of art scattered all over this garden.
Go and look for them!
I hope your pleased, now get out of here and have a glass of wine!
Tuscany inspires.

Wow. I’ve been to Florence dozens of times, and only seen San Miniato’s white marble façade from below. I had no idea that the interior of the church was do ornate. Certainly worth a visit!

San Miniato al Monte is a special place. Apart from the church itself that it’s quite special, there is a beautiful view (only rival to Piazzale Michelangelo, in my opinion) and a very interesting graveyard where all famous Florentines have been buried.

Definitely one of the highlights while in Florence. The view is one, if not the best. You don’t even have to pay to walk into the basilica like most churches in Italy. Pictures don’t even do this place justice and would upload a video of the location if only Unilocal would let me, just so you could get an idea of how beautiful this place is.
A plus is the small number of tourists. A great place to have some quiet time, consumed in your thoughts, if any. Very spiritual.

La visita a la Basílica de San Miniato al Monte es un lugar que no puedes dejar de visitar si tu destino vacacional o laboral es Florencia.
Las vistas son ESPECTACULARES.
Mucha gente se queda en la Piazzale Michelangelo porque sus vistas de la ciudad son fantásticas, pero si te apetece estar más tranquilo, sin aglomeraciones y disfrutar de las vistas sin duda te recomiendo esta visita.
El atardecer que se puede contemplar os dejará sin palabras, ya que te ofrece un paisaje inolvidable con el río Arno, el Ponte Vecchio y la catedral de Florencia por ejemplo.
Además, sobre las 18:30 dentro de la Basílica los monjes de San Miniato hacen una misa con cantos gregorianos.
Para llegar puedes acceder en coche (difícil para encontrar aparcamiento), bus o andando (creo que es la mejor opción) desde Florencia.
Para mi gusto, uno de los lugares más bonitos que he visto hasta ahora.

If you have already made the steep hike to the Piazzale Michelangelo be sure to walk a little further up the hill to visit the Basilica di San Miniato al Monte. The views from this hilltop are breathtaking!
The Basilica di San Miniato al Monte (aka: St. Minias on the Mountain) is a beautiful Romanesque church that is situated at the highest point in Firenze. San Miniato dates back to 783, but it was rebuilt from scratch in 1018 because the church was badly neglected. There are beautiful gardens and cemeteries surrounding San Miniato. Some famous Italians are buried at the cemetery, including: Carlo Collodi, creator of Pinocchio; painter Pietro Annigoni; poet and author Luigi Ugolini; film producer Mario Cecchi Gori; painter Maria Luisa Ugolini Bonta; opera singer Marietta Piccolomini; children’s author Lydia Ugolini; and writer Giovanni Papini.
We visited the church during Sunday mass and it was amazing to hear the service in Italian. I would have liked to return during the evening to hear the Gregorian chants, but we didn’t have enough time during our visit. Jam Tarts, chocolate cakes and strudels, biscotti, and candles are handcrafted in the laboratories of the monastery and are available for sale at the monastic pharmacy daily from 10:00 — 18:00. You can order these items three days prior by phone #348−992−59−05.

Even considering all the great places Florence has to offer, San Miniato al Monte was my favorite. I made the trek up the hill checked out the basilica after a pit stop at Piazzale Michelangelo somewhat earlier in the morning while there were still remnants of the morning’s dense fog. I highly recommend walking up the hill in the morning and going around the back of the church where you’ll enjoy the quiet serenity of a foggy morning overlooking Tuscany’s hillside country. Make your way to the front and you’ll enjoy unparalleled views of the City of Florence before entering the church. The inside of the church, while itself relatively simple by Italy’s standards, is nonetheless impressive for both its views and its history, which is worth learning more about.
Make sure you get here if you visit Florence!

If you visit Florence and fail to come to this spot you’re an absolute idiot. This is my happy place, because it is just so beautiful and relaxing. The view is breath taking, the feeling from being on top of the city is priceless. You cannot miss this.
The basics: Small gardens, beautiful basilica (and free entrance), benches outside, amazing artwork (the floors! the doors!!! ah!!!), incredible history (wikipedia is your friend), very old tombstones and graves, and if you’re lucky you can spot the monks setting up the altar downstairs.
Before or after you go inside the basilica, walk around it and relax in the mini forest. It’s directly around and behind the fortress. I am tempted to not tell people about it because I love how quiet and peaceful it is.
You must also go and hear the gregorian chants, they start every evening at 630.
Go out now and get lost around this place! So worth it!

After hiking up the hill, seeing the view, and then seeing the inside of this church… it is a definite must see when you are in Florence! Mountain Man and I took a very roundabout way as we wanted to see the Boboli Gardens, however when we arrived and Mountain Man had seen that it cost money, we decided to keep walking. We discovered Fort Belvedere and the Piazzale Michaelangelo. Work BFF met up with us at Piazzale Michaelangelo and we continued to San Miniato.
It was stunning! And while there were a fair number of tourists wandering about, it didn’t seem crowded and it was very quiet and peaceful. A great place to get away from the crowds, the bustle, and just reflect. There is no cost to go inside the church, however there is a machine where you can deposit a euro and it lights up the ceiling above the altar. Yes, Work BFF and I were intrigued by this machine, standing by itself and we wanted to know what it did. Work BFF put a euro in and it was like the heavens opened and this light illuminated the art above the altar. After you look around, take a moment to sit, and enjoy the peacefulness, take in the view, reflect.
We all took some time to sit outside of the church and admire the view over the city. While we did take time to reflect and enjoy the peacefulness outside as well, we also had Mountain Man read aloud information about the church from our guide book (he has a British accent, so it sounds much better) so we could fully appreciate the church.

During my travels in Italia I visited churches, a lot of churches. This was by far the most spectacular one in Firenze.
While much smaller than the Duomo in the city, this structure was much more preserved and detailed. Situated atop the hill just a short walk from Piazza
Michelangelo, the views from the basilica are stunning. Surrounded by burial plots, some dating back hundreds of years, you can imagine what it must take to be buried atop a mountain with the greatest views of Firenze.
I really loved the floors, walls and ceilings, and the detailed marble work throughout the structure. You can stare at any part of it for quite awhile. Quite a peaceful place, many runners and sightseers were here, we even witnessed a wedding photo shoot!
Really though, come for the architecture, stay for the sunset.

Eigentlich eher ein Geheimtipp:
Auf jeden Fall lohnt sich der Weg. Der Blick über die Stadt ist wunderschön und der kleine Freidhof sehenswert.
Die kleine Kirche ist so zauberhaft. Den Weg kann man auch zu Fuss zurücklegen, da es so eine schöné Landschaft zu sehen gibt!

un des monuments les moins visités de Florence mais d’une rare beauté.
c’est un monastère avec donc une église. elle est byzantine !
le monastère n’est pas accessible au public.
comme elle est situé sur un mont, il y a des marches à gravir !
un cimetière est à mi-​ascension, c’est le cimetière de toute la haute société florentine.
anecdote: elle a été le sujet d’un film américain avec Geneviève Bujold (pour les puristes)

Importante iglesia de estilo románico al ser una de las más antiguas de las que se tiene constancia en la zona de la Toscana.
A pesar de lo hermoso de la basílica en sí, lo verdaderamente interesante es el lugar donde se emplaza: se sitúa un poco alejada del centro de Florencia, por lo que no está tan lleno de turistas como la zona del Ponte Vechio. Sin embargo, ofrece las (sin duda) mejores vistas de la ciudad, ya que se encuentra en una colina a la bien merece un pequeño esfuerzo subir!
Si nos alejamos un poco más del centro de Florencia subiendo por esta colina, parecerá que nos hemos traslado al campo en un instante, ya que empezaremos a ver casas bajitas, señores sentados en sillas a la puerta charlando amigablemente un ambiente totalmente tranquilo y relajado. Como en cualquier peli que hayais visto de la Toscana!