The Basilica of San Miniato al Monte is a jewel of Romanesque art that preserves one of the most fascinating legends of the city.
Since 1018, its characteristic white and green marble slabs have dominated the Florentine skyline, telling the story of the martyr Miniato and inspiring the greatest artists of the Renaissance, including Brunelleschi himself. A place where art, faith and legend come together in a unique experience: from the 11th century crypt that houses the saint’s remains, to the magnificent 13th century mosaic that shines in the dome, up to the extraordinary marble zodiac still functioning after 800 years.
Join us to discover this hidden treasure: book a guided tour of the Basilica of San Miniato al Monte.
What you will see during the guided tour
San Miniato al Monte is a grandiose basilica in Florentine Romanesque style dating back to 1018 and dedicated to the heroic Armenian soldier, Miniato, who was beheaded here by Roman soldiers because of his Christian faith.
Immediately after his beheading he picked up his head and climbed the hill where he was buried, the same hill where the Basilica now stands.
In addition to its splendid panoramic view of the city of Florence and its main monuments, its style in white and green marble slabs and the geometric shapes that they form covering the entire external surface will be taken up by Filippo Brunelleschi himself as inspiration for the construction of the Baptistery of St John.
Inside the trussed ceiling, typical of the Romanesque era, the inlaid floor from 1200, the raised choir and the presbytery, separated by an original Romanesque transenna, the magnificent Romanesque pulpit from 1207 and the large mosaic from 1297 which covers the entire internal surface of the dome above the apse and the pipe organ are just some of the masterpieces that can be admired here.
From inside the naves you can access the Chapel of the Cardinal of Portugal dating back to the second half of the 1400s and finely decorated with polychrome glazed terracotta by Luca della Robbia.
The crypt, the oldest part of the Church dating back to the 11th century, surmounted by the main altar, seems to guard the bones of the martyr Miniato; the Sacristy containing a beautiful sink from the 1400s and original inlaid wooden cabinets of the time, the still functioning marble zodiac from 1207 and the solstitial sundial on the floor of the Basilica are just some of the oldest and most prestigious works to be admired.
Discover all this live! Discover the magic of San Miniato al Monte with the guided tour of Florenceforanyone.
Stages of the visit to San Miniato al Monte
- Description of the exteriors
- Interior description
- Crypt
- Cardinal’s Chapel
- Sacristy
- Zodiac
