Outside, the day was steamy and still, a typical late afternoon July day in Florence. But inside, ahhhh, inside the walls of San Miniato al Monte, which have stood watch over the Florentines since 1018 from one of the city’s highest points, inside was cool and subdued.
We happened to wander in at 17:30, which, on summer weekdays, is the mass featuring Gregorian chants. It was haunting and magical, even for 10-year-old Daughter, who, after three weeks in Italy with her obsessive mamma, had well had her fill of churches.
Here’s Firenze, from San Miniato al Monte’s perspective:
San Miniato al Monte is an easy walk from Piazzale Michelangelo, and I highly recommend you sneak in a visit, even if it’s just a quick one, should you find yourself in Florence.
San Miniato al Monte will be featured in my upcoming post, Churches of Florence: A Love Story.
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San Miniato al Monte Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Images of Florence by Stacy di Anna Pollard.
Prayers & Piazzas 
Beautiful post, Stacy! I was really lucky to coordinate a tour with a professor that was an expert on mosaics, so she took us to this church. It was such a special experience to be there with her and the students. :))
What a wonderful experience that must have been!
It really was. 🙂
Reblogged this on Make Italy Yours.
Hi Stefania, hope you are well! Thank you for sharing. Un abbraccio! 🙂
Hi Stacy, hope you are well too! 🙂
You are welcome, dear Stacy, un abbraccio a te!
Every church in Italy seems such a treat, doesn’t it? As if each were a forgotten museum waiting to be explored.
You are so right. They are irresistable to me!
It looks beautiful. What’s the inside like? Based on the front, I imagine it’s full of beautiful mosaics.
Hi! Yes, the inside is amazing! I’m not fluent in art history to better describe, but here’s some good shots on this website: http://www.sacred-destinations.com/italy/florence-san-miniato-al-monte
Love this church, and the cemetary too. i have been trying to get back again to hear the chanting in the crypt! Soon, i hope. Ciao, Cristina
Very nice. San Miniato is popular this week. I just read about it yesterday on https://theroverinleatherjacket.wordpress.com/2017/08/12/florence-oltrarno-less-crowded-itinerary/
We loved visiting San Miniato al Monte in 2011. We took a bus up there. Somehow, I may have missed one of the chapels which is written about in tour books. Loved the church interior and exterior. We did not hear the vespers service, but would like to. Would love to return. I was first there in 1957 with my parents and brother (I was almost 8 and my brother, 9 yrs. old).