San Miniato al Monte

San Miniato al Monte is a beautiful treasure on the hill. The climb up the steps is worth it to hear Gregorian chants, and soak in the serenity of your surroundings. It is rarely crowded, even at the height of tourist season.

This Florentine Church was constructed between the eleventh and thirteenth century. It is well worth a visit not only for it's inner and exterior beauty, but if you have your back to the front of the Church and look out, you can get a great panoramic view of all of Florence.

San Miniato al Monte is a beautiful Romanesque church on top of a hill overlooking the city of Florence near the Piazzale Michelangelo. Carlo Collodi, the creator of Pinocchio, is buried in the adjacent cemetery. A spectacular place to watch the sun set.

San Minato al Monte basilica overlooks the city of Florence and the view is just spectacular! It stands at the hill top across from the Arno River. One evening, I came to visit the crypt where they had Gregorian chanting and mass (at the info office in Florence they have a list of churches and hours of service). It was truly amazing to listen! Definitely worth the trek up the hill and some getting lost to get to this place!

Spectacular Romanesque church on a hill overlooking Florence. It may be one of the best examples of Romanesque architecture in Italy. The view of Florence from in front of the church is also very nice

One of the best undiscovered gems in Florence. Go here for the gregorian chants - called Vespers - in the late afternoon. Then go for spectacular sunset views just below it from Piazzale Michelangelo.

If you make it up to Piazalle Michelangelo, then another flight of stairs will get you to the church of San Miniato al Monte. The legend goes that Miniato, a Christian, was beheaded by a Roman emperor and picked up his head and walked to this spot, where a shrine and now a church exists. The structure is Romanesque, not Renaissance, rather dark inside but with an attractive exterior.

Beautiful old church with spectacular views of the city.

After attending the mass, we went down the abbey basement and prayed Vespers with the chanting monks. It was a very unique experience that added a dimension to my universal church experience.

意大利的风格的传统的教堂，并不是很大的建筑面积了，这个教堂也是一个很值得参观的好去处，可以看到很多的古老的雕塑，也是一座很经典老教堂。