My 3 day Italy trip - Firenze, San Miniato al Monte church (cont.) - The high altar, the raised choir, the north wall frescoes, the crypt and the funeral chapel of the Cardinal of Portugal Jacob of Lusitania - The 19th of September 2015

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We continued our visit to the church of San Miniato by admiring the  high altar representing San Miniato, San Giovanni Gualberto. It is raised above the nave with outstandingly beautiful inlaid marble panels  and majolica vault work dating from the 15th century. Wherever I looked there were frescoes that inevitably caught my attention as I walked about. I stopped several times along the way just to feel the atmosphere and intimately praise those who had produced such artistic works.

The 1294 Byzantine-style mosaic in the apse depicting the same subject  as the one of the church's façade Saint Minias with Christ and the Virgin was breathtaking.

 

 

The only place we were not allowed to take pictures to was the crypt, the oldest part of the church, despite the fact that they were allowed to be taken from the nave.  My curiosity was naturally drawn to the funeral chapel of the 25 year old Cardinal of Portugal, Jacob of Lusitania who died in Florence in 1439.

The chapel said to have had the colaboration of outstanding Florentine artists was built in 1461-1466 under the order of King Dom Afonso of Portugal constituting a true masterpiece of Florentine Renaissance. 

The terracota roundels, whose style I soon associated with the ones we had seen at the Spedale degli Innocenti were in fact sculpted by the same artist, Lucca dela Robbia.

 

 

The long walk up to this magnificent church had really been worth it. Having spent more than an hour inside it I walked out with the feeling that I could have stayed much longer and thoroughly admired what it had to offer the visitors - artistic concept and beauty.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(To be continued)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My 3 day Italy trip - Firenze, the façade of the church of San Leonardo in Arcetri and San Miniato al Monte church façade, the nave ceiling, floor and right side wall frescoes - The 19th of September 2015

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We continued walking along via San Leonardo not having been aware we had taken the wrong turn, which would ultimately mean a further one hour walk into the hill.

The façade of the San Leonardo in Archetri's Medieval church dating from the 11th century we came across on the left hand side among olive groves was quite interesting.

 

 

 

We finally reached viale Galileo Galilei which we had to walk down on for quite a while in what could have easily been considered one of the hardest walks of my life, had I not been so keen on visiting the church of San Miniato Al Monte.

 

The moment we caught sight of it tiredeness was unexpectedly gone because we soon realised it had been worth the walk. The Romanesque church is said to have been built in 1018 over the shrine of Saint Miniato, an early Christian martyr of Armenian origin who was beheaded by Emperor Decius for his beliefs.

The façade which was begun around 1090 has geometric patterning in greyish green and white marble, with a statue on the gable depicting an eagle carrying a bale of cloth, symbol of the powerful Arte di Calimala (guild of wool importers) who financed the Church in the middle ages. Below the gable one could see a beautiful mosaic showing Christ, the Virgin and Saint Minias.

The floor of the nave is marble-inlaid with mosaic panels with geometric  and zoomorphic motifs, as well as the wheel of the zodiac.

14th and 15th century frescoes cover the walls, which I  couldn't help but admiring and photographing simultaneously. I started on the right-hand side before making my way to the upper nave gallery and was simply fascinated by them.

 

 

 

 

(To be continued)