Churches of Florence: San Miniato with Dr. Alessandra Becucci

Visit one of Florence’s oldest churches and experience its fascinating medieval atmosphere the most stunning view of Florence.

Sitting on the top hill on the south bank of the Arno river in Florence, the church of San Miniato is the first thing you see when looking south from the city center. As one of the few surviving examples of Florentine Romanesque architecture, San Miniato conserves its original character. The legend of the church’s foundation dates back to the third century CE, while the current structure was completed in 1063 with Emperor Henry III’s financial support. Protected by Michelangelo during the siege of 1529 and spared from the requalification of the hill in the 1800s, San Miniato features a crypt, a raised presbytery, unique in Florence, and original mosaics from the thirteen century. The sacristy, decorated in the 1380s by Spinello Aretino, is the oldest cycle of Stories of Saint Benedict in Tuscany. Join us in the admiration of these gems and other Renaissance artistic treasures by Michelozzo, Luca della Robbia and Piero del Pollaiolo. Enjoy the most beautiful view of Florence from the hill elected as the resting place of illustrious modern Tuscans, such as the writer Carlo Collodi, author of Pinocchio, and the renowned director Franco Zeffirelli.

Led by Florentine art historian Alessandra Becucci, this conversation will introduce you to one of the most important basilicas in Florence and a testimony of the city’s authentic spirit.

This conversation is part of a series on the churches of Florence with Alessandra Becucci. Each session is designed as a stand-alone seminar as well as part of the series.