#Abbazia di san Miniato al Monte

[italy2023]

May 15

We went to the Cappella Brancacci which was kind of anticlimactic because we have already seen so much impressive art work. For lunch we tried a kabp at the Royal chicken. Eric brought/recommended this place to us. It was chicken with sauce, lettuce, and French fries. Which was super good. To be honest I feel like the food hasn’t been that good maybe because I had high expectations and ended up being let down because I had such high standards. The kabp was unexpectedly really good. Smaller business sometimes end up being better then a fancier ones.

After lunch we went to the Basilica di Santa Maria Novella which wasn’t that bad, but it has been a bit draining because of the amount of churches and artwork we have seen over the past week.

For our free time, we got gelato at la Carrara. This place we recommended to us by Francesco. In my opinion I think this was the best place so far. We then hiked a long up hill path to Abbazia di San Miniato al Monte in order to see the sun set.

[nevernervousneversad]

Abby being Abby

[followingliz]

A Day in Florence - Un Giorno a Firenze [Part 4: Piazzale Michelangelo]

Our adventure in Florence continues! To the top of the hill! There is a very famous look-out point in Florence called Piazzale Michelangelo, named for it’s replica statue of the David, it has stunning views of the city!

We were originally going to try to take the bus up the hill since a lot of stairs are involved. Butwe had a little bit of trouble finding both the bus stop and the right tabaccheria selling bus tickets. By the time we stopped to ask for directions we were practically at the base of the hill

so we decided to climb the stairs anyway.

They really aren’t that bad. Their a gently sloping stair and we weren’t too out of breath once we got to the top. Just below the tippy top is a cute cafe (of course it was closed) and  a beautiful viewpoint of the whole old city with a useful map to let you know what you’re looking at

Up at the tippy top we were once again blessed with a practically empty piazza!

We didn’t have to wait for anyone to move to take some iconic city-view photos

or to enjoy the panorama ourselves. You really get a sense of how big the Duomo actually is from this view-point. It really dominates the landscape and the fact that it seems huge from this far away makes it even more impressive.

If you have the time (and we did) I recommend heading a bit further along the hill towards Abbazia di San Miniato al Monte. It’s a beautiful church...that is up several more stairs

This is not an easy trip. But from this courtyard the views are stunning

The Abbazia was, of course, closed but we enjoyed the beautiful marble face and the completely empty quiet courtyard immensely.

We sat in the shade of the church and tried to catch you breath, take a rest and cool down before we started our decent.

If you’re heading to Florence in the summertime I cannot recommend a cheap hand fan enough. It was the best 3 euros I’ve ever spent!

Heading back down the hill you can stop in the rose garden. Being the height of a very hot summer, the roses weren’t at their best, but Alex made sure to smell them all!

There are some nice sculptures as you wander through the gardens and it’s a nice way to take your time as you head back downhill.

We’d seen the sights, we’d seen the view, it was time to head back into town, get a sandwhich and relax for the rest of the evening until our 7pm train.... [final Florence post next week!]

[cesarecitypilgrim]

Monte Oliveto style: tre abbazie ricche di arte e storia/Monte Oliveto style: three Italian Abbey rich for art and history.

Monte Oliveto style: tre abbazie ricche di arte e storia/Monte Oliveto style: three Italian Abbey rich for art and history.

Gli olivetani dall’abito bianco, noti per il loro amore per l’arte e la cultura, sono una delle più affascinanti congregazioni dell’universo benedettino. Non numerosissimi, vivono in abbazie di grande interesse, diffuse in tutto il mondo, anche se è in Italia che si trova il cuore dell’ordine: l’abbazia madre di Monte Oliveto Maggiore in provincia di Siena. Da qui voglio partire per una breve…

[x-away-with-the-fairies-x]

Back in April last year I went of a solo trip to Florence & Pisa. I’ve been meaning to write a blog for ages, but never seemed to get round to it and I just found my travel journal and it doesn’t seem I wrote as much as what I can remember…either that or I wrote an lengthier version and can’t remember what notebook I wrote it in! Ha-ha.

I actually travelled to London the day before and stayed in a hotel local to Stansted airport as the flight was early in the morning and I didn’t want to risk the trains getting me there in time to check in etc (it also meant I got more of a lie in, which for anyone that knows me, is very important).

Anyway I successfully arrived at Florence airport and once I collected my baggage I found my way to the train ticket office. As my plan was to get the train into Florence and then navigate my way to the hotel. Well I got the ticket but then looked it and realised it said somewhere completely different to where I wanted to go and I couldn’t actually find how to get to the train (probably me being a bit dim and getting easily confused) I ended up getting the bus instead and actually I don’t know why I didn’t just do this in the first place. It meant more time soaking up the surroundings of the journey  and well you should have heard the collective gasps of everyone on the bus when we went over a bridge just before arriving in Florence – it was a beautiful site you could see the city of Florence in the distance, the river Arno and multiple bridges. I think everyone made either an oooo or an ahhhhh noise!

Once off the bus, I will admit I did get a little lost trying to find my hotel. The bus stop wasn’t really near the centre but more towards the outside of the city and it was little confusing trying to find my way to the other side of the river where I was staying. I am going to put a little blame on google maps as it seemed to send me in the opposite direction to what I needed or tell me I was going to right way but then change its mind (either that or its my bad navigational skills). I was quite warm by this point as it was 27/28oc and I was dressed for the British cold weather I had left behind, along with lugging my suitcase and my camera bag around. Eventually I found my way to the river (it was down a little side street (I had originally gone down then changed my mind and turned back around) and across the road. I crossed the bridge and found the hotel straight the way but I couldn’t open the door so immediately I thought great I’ve booked somewhere that’s closed down or something suddenly panicking. I walked around to see if there was another entrance but to no luck so tried the door and found the buzzer and was let in after a couple of minutes *phew*. I checked in and unpacked and just chilled for a bit before going off for a walk to the Piazzale Michelangelo it was a little bit of a trek with some steep climbs but it was so worth it and you’ll be happy to know I didn’t get lost, not even once! I soaked up the views and took plenty of pictures before wandering up to the Abbazia di San Miniato al Monte before wandering back down to find somewhere for tea before hitting the hay for the night.

Here are some photos from Day 1:

Florence – 27/04/18: Day 1 Back in April last year I went of a solo trip to Florence & Pisa. I’ve been meaning to write a blog for ages, but never seemed to get round to it and I just found my travel journal and it doesn’t seem I wrote as much as what I can remember…either that or I wrote an lengthier version and can’t remember what notebook I wrote it in!

[camfoc]

Tomba di Pellegrino Artusi (1820-1911).

Firenze, cimitero monumentale Le Porte Sante, abbazia di San Miniato al Monte. Il busto in bronzo venne realizzato nel 1916 dallo scultore fiorentino Italo Vagnetti (1864-1933).

“LA DOTTRINA ALLA BONTA’ CONGIUNSE PELLEGRINO ARTUSI LEGANDO IL RICCO PATRIMONIO AI POVERI DEL PAESE NATIO

N: A FORLIMPOPOLI IL 4 AG: 1820 M: IN FIRENZE IL 30 MAR: 1911″

[raingallery]

Abbazia di San Miniato al Monte

[jo-shaneflorence18]

Whatever floats your boat, Fiats or cooking

7/05/2018: Out of bed for a great day ahead. Only time for a cuppa but wouldn't you know it, after search high and low for a kettle and finding it tucked away and out of sight in the back of the cupboard, it didn't work. Boiling water in a saucepan was required. At least the electronic glass top stove was a lot user friendly than in Paris.

Jo and Cecilia left for their food and cooking tour before Tom, Beau and Shane. They had a nine o'clock departure time for their activity and had to be there twenty minutes early. They must have been keen as the meeting place, under the loggias at the Tours and News Stand in Piazza della Repubblica was just around the corner. Not long after the boys left for the Walkabout Tour's garage in via Vinegia, immediately behind Palazzo Vecchio so only a few minutes were needed to get there. They had a similar starting time but upon arrival, some of the Vespa people were already there and a few of the Fiat people. Tom put his name up to drive, they took his particulars and gave him a run through of how the car worked. All too easy. In the meantime Shane & Beau checked out the other vehicles in the garage.

Receiving Instruction

Jo and Cecilia were booked into the VIP Small Group Cooking Masterclass Tour and Historic Bottegas Food Tour (what a mouthful) through Ciao Florence Tours and met their tour guide Giuseppe who had a small group of 8 people to show around. The first part of the tour involved walking through a small street close to where we were staying. It actually ended up being our street! First stop was a Forno Sortoni. Forno means oven and in this case, means a bakery where breads and pastries are cooked on site. They were given a traditional Tuscan bread to try, cooked sans salt. Also on offer was focaccia and biscotti. Those that were coffee drinkers were given an expresso, those of us who were not coffee drinkers were given water.

First stop, Forno Sortoni

The Fiats were a bit slower to get going. Sorting them out, prepping up with driver instructions and decking out the scooter riders took some time but by a quarter to ten most were ready to go, the manager being unhappy with the delay, partly created by a Spanish woman who wanted the tour in Italian so she could understand it (Beau's interpretation). She argued for ages and by the time we left she was still arguing.

The guide, Alexandro (Ale) was quite a character and quite knowledgeable, got the boys in the vehicles, in convoy and out of the township. Ten minutes later they were climbing the bends up to Abbazia di San Miniato al Monte, a basilica that turned one thousand years old this year. Commencing in 1018 and taking almost a century to complete, the Tuscan Romanesque structure was built on the remains of an earlier church. The Monte in the title refers to mountain but is really only a hill affording panoramic views across Florence. The façade was completed much later, at a time when Florence was in dispute with Siena, hence there is only white and green marble. No pink as in the town centre as the pink came from Siena.

View of Florence from the forecourt

Apparently, whether you believe it or not, Minias after whom the church was named, was a Roman soldier who decided that he had had enough of the army and retired to Florence. Taking on Christianity, he became a hermit in a cave of some sort beneath the current abbey. During the Christian persecutions of the third century. He ended up being thrown into the middle of the Roman amphitheatre with a couple of panthers. These animals would not touch him so the Romans done it for them, cutting off his head. Refusing to die he tucked his head under his arm and walked home, dying there.

A few old frescos

Before the boys were even at San Miniato, the women had moved on to their next stop, a fruit and veg shop called Mauro Frutta. The shop was laid out with an amazing array of colour. They were shown fruits from the region and explained that some fruits were particular to Tuscany. Cherries were just coming into season and they were both given a sample to try. There was also another fruit that resembled a cross between an apricot and a persimmon to look at but no one in the group, neither they, the English, Canadians or Yanks could equate the taste to anything back home. It was yummy. There were also the smallest strawberries they had ever seen which were bush strawberries. They also sampled two types of tomatoes, cherries and dates of which the latter were particularly sweet and very nice.

Mauro Frutta

From Mauro Frutta they headed across Piazza della Signoria to a couple of back streets leading to a store specialising in olive oils and balsamic vinegars called La Bottega Dell'olio and given three different olive oils and three different balsamic vinegars to try. It was explained what food was best for each. There was a sweet balsamic vinegar that they were told could be used on strawberries and ice cream, hmmmm not sure about that!

Samples of vinegars and oils at La Bottega Dell'olio

By now it was eleven and tucker was on. The men heading off to eat it and the women setting up to cook it. Nothing's changed. Soon after leaving the basilica, Shane and the boys were driving through narrow laneways, potholed asphalt and very tight corners, stopping off at a lookout overlooking a valley of olive groves in the Florentine hills and a hidden away vineyard (paddock of grapes), ��given an education by Ale about Tuscan olive oil and the difference between Chianti and Chianti Classico wine. All very interesting. It was at this time that Shane and Beau swapped front and rear seats. The back seat was quite cosy, Beau too tall and Shane too fat.

But it was then time to eat. Ale leading back the way we came, passing the entry to Abbazia di San Miniato al Monte and stopping at the front gate of where we were to eat. A small laneway off of Via della Torre del Gallo. We parked all the Fiats on a small area near the gate and walked down the numerous steps to the entertainment area, all owned by the Walkabout owner and setup to specifically cater for customers of their tours. The last time we were here with Zac and Soph, our group were the only ones there and their big dog Falco was quite pleased to see us. This time however there were a couple of dozen doing a cooking class so Falco was a lot less responsive. So much so that when Tom tried to be friendly with him and offered his hand, Falco gave a nip as to say that he's had enough of tourists for the day.

The narrow lane ways of the Florentine hills

It was cosy in the back seat

Parking up top

It was approach eleven thirty, eating time for some, cooking time for others. Jo and Cecilia crossed the Arno to the restaurant where their class was to occur, Ristorante Olio & Convivium. Bit of a problem though. No one was there! Giuseppe took them to a café on the corner to grab a drink while he hastily made a few phone calls. Finally after several calls and 45 minute wait, the manager arrived and let them into the restaurant. After heading off to wash their hands (hygiene is a must in any kitchen) they were provided aprons, went through the formal introductions of name and where they all hailed from and given a run down on what they were going to cook.  Almond biscotti, gnocchi, basil pesto, egg plant parmigiana and porcini risotto. No machines, this was going to be all by hand. Biscotti was prepared and put aside to rise. It was then on to the gnocchi which also had to sit for a while. During this waiting time they were taken into the seating area and treated to salamis, prosciutto, cheeses, bread and red wine. It was during this break the next problem arose. The oven was broken. Again frantic calls between the guide and the restaurant's head chef and a visit from the manager was to no avail. No biscotti for today. Awwwwww, all that work and no reward. Jo's looked pretty damn good too! It was back to the prep area where they commenced work on the basil pesto using a heavy mortar and pestle. This was bloody hard work for a weakling like Jo. Next, it was time to prepare the eggplant and then time for another glass of wine. It was then into the kitchen where the cooking on the stove top began. Cecilia volunteered to start the risotto. Nona in the making. Their gnocchi were cooked as a job lot, dished up a portion each and had it mixed with their own pesto. Several made it way too salty. Jo's was bearable. It was back to the tables where they ate their masterpieces, enjoyed conversation and downed another wine. Even with the hiccups at the "VIP" cooking class, it was a great day. Jo and Cec were given master Chef certificates then headed off on their way home.

Nona preparing the risotto

She passed. Now qualified to cook dinner

A less stressful time was being had across town. As was the last time, the food was excellent. Shane and the boys sat with a couple from Las Vegas, in fact all the other people were from the United States. Again the red wine came out (only one glass allowed for the drivers), pasta in tomato sauce followed by a large plate of meat, cheese and olives. Plenty of food and again all good. An hour or so there saw them heading back through the lane ways to Florence.

Yard beside the meal area

Pasta and antipasto for lunch

Travelling back in the Fiats was good, negotiating the traffic and traffic lights until they hit the last bridge. The first three Fiats turned left and must have turned right somewhere. The last three were caught up in traffic and ended up lost. With all of the one way streets and dead ends, they all ended up diving along the riverbank until they could cross the river and try to work out where they were on Google maps. It ended up getting them back to base but by the long way and where they weren't supposed to go. When finally arrived back, it was storming with light hail and whilst handing back the keys they were notified that they went through some streets illegally and that we would be fined. The company said that they would cover the cost but they did not have to. A little more instruction under heavy traffic and tight roads may have been the answer. Although everyone had radios, they were pretty poor and the messages pretty garbled. Anyway, to top it all off by the time the men left the workshop it was pouring so they found a Caffé  Pasticceria on the corner nearby and sat it out with a few ales. Everybody had the same idea so the place was packed, all looking for a seat. After a couple of beers the waiter was asked if it was still raining. He said it was so another round was ordered. After the third beer the waiter came over and told them it had stopped raining. It was "il conto per favore" and they were out of there.

Waiting for the rain to clear

Following the day's activities, it was time to change course. Cecilia and the boys had to rest up while Shane and Jo spent the early evening enjoying a walk around the Duomo. By the time that they returned to the apartment, the rested ones were up and ready to go, spending the late evening around Piazza della Signoria. Looking at the statues in Loggia dei Lanzi and listening to the live music. After the evening’s activities, we all settled down by trying some of the tasty vinegars and oils that the women had purchased during the day.

Walked the evening off around the Duomo

Another day down

Tomorrow, the Tuscan countryside.

[ldonnay]

Today was #firenze day 1. Was so good to be crescendo, starting before with #sangimignano, #siena and #pisa: this was the right preparation for the kids, so they can ingest all this beauty 🇮🇹❤️ @djiglobal #osmomobile2 #iphonexr Enjoy this view from #sanminiatoalmonte on the #tuscany #jewel (à Abbazia di San Miniato al Monte, Florence) https://www.instagram.com/p/B0y5kD2oStO/?igshid=xyyi1sh28352

[sonjainswitzerland]

27.3.2019

I went for a morning run along the Arno river and through Parco della Cascine. When J woke up, we had breakfast at Tamarindo juicery before meeting up with M&A. We walked up to Piazzale Michelangelo, stopping to admire the view from the Rose Garden, and then on to the Abbazia di San Miniato al Monte (gorgeous 11th century church with amazing city views). For the rest of the morning, we enjoyed the Galileo museum (which was really more of a “history of science in Europe” museum). Highlights of the lower floor included intricately carved astrolabes, globes with distorted outlines of the continents, enormous earth-centric models of the universe, two of Galileo’s fingers and one of his molars… Upstairs, I really enjoyed seeing the mid-18th century wax and terracotta anatomical models of normal and abnormal birth presentations (e.g., breech presentation, shoulder presentation). This part of obstetrics has not changed much!

In the afternoon, we went to the Galleria dell’Accademia to admire Michelangelo’s David statue and explore the plaster model collection. We learned about why David’s head and hands appear so big (the statue was supposed to be up on a rooftop of the cathedral, so the head and hands were enlarged to increase visibility. Ultimately, the statue was too big and too heavy to put up on a roofline). We marveled at the fact that Michelangelo completed the statue at the age of 29. We noted the scuffing on David’s left foot, and we learned that in 1991 a mentally ill artist brought a hammer into the museum and attacked the statue! He was stopped before he could attack more than the foot. Although this incident was obviously a disaster, one silver lining was that the marble crumbles dislodged from David’s foot could be analyzed, and scientists were able to identify the quarry in Carrara from which the marble had come.  

After David, we enjoyed one more Italian gelato, and then we caught the tram back to the airport and back to Zürich. It was great ~28 hours in Florence with friends!

[backpacksandbottles-blog]

Thoughts on Florence(Firenze), Italy

I really enjoyed Florence, though it didn’t make as great of an impression on me as Rome did. It was beautiful and was quite different than Rome. Rome has a ton of influence from the ancient Romans and their architectural building styles. Florence on the other hand, hit its peak during the Middle Ages and during the Renaissance. So the architecture reflects those time periods. It feels as if you are walking through a set for a movie about kings and fiefdoms. The whole time I was there it was overcast and it drizzled on and off. But even so, the weather wasn’t bad enough to prevent me from getting around. My highlights from the trip were the cemetery at Abbazia di San Miniato al Monte, the Piazzale Michelangelo, the Doumo(Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore) and just walking around the Arno River. None of the beer that I had that was produced in Florence was any good, but I did have some beers from areas of Italy outside of Florence that were quite good. But honestly one of the things that made the largest impact on me in Florence was the horrible smells that seemed to accost you every few steps as you walk down the street. The whole city smells of sewage. With that said, I would still like to check this city out in the spring or fall and I’d like to do it with someone that appreciates art.

[nevernervousneversad]

[paeseseratoscana]

Firenze spegne le luci di Palazzo Vecchio, Duomo e altri monumenti

Firenze spegne le luci di Palazzo Vecchio, Duomo e altri monumenti #oradellaterra#firenze #EarthHour @WwfItalia

Luci spente su Palazzo Vecchio, Torre di Arnolfo, Ponte Vecchio, abbazia di San Miniato al Monte, statua del David al piazzale Michelangelo, Duomo, basilica di Santa Croce. Palazzi e monumenti saranno al buio, domani sera, dalle 20,30 alle 21,30 in occasione dell’Ora della Terra, evento globale del Wwflanciato per promuovere il risparmio energetico e contrastare i mutamenti climatici. Luci…

[cesarecitypilgrim]

10 abbazie nelle città italiane/10 Italian urban abbeys

10 abbazie nelle città italiane/10 Italian urban abbeys

Le abbazie sono, nell’immaginario popolare, luoghi solitari e silenziosi, lontani dal caos e dalla vita frenetica delle città. Normalmente questa immagine corrisponde alla realtà eppure ci sono abbazie benedettine (perché e di questo ordine che vi voglio parlare) che vivono da secoli proprio nel cuore dei centri urbani. La maggioranza sono femminili ma in genere osservano la clausura e quindi non…

[teachremix]

View of the Abbazia di San Miniato al Monte from the top of the cathedral #firenze #florence #italy #italia #duomodifirenze #abbazia #sanminiatoalmonte #nikon #d5600 #landscape #travel #photography #iso100 #55mm via Instagram https://ift.tt/2lCmkRt

[samuelmmalopes-blog]

Que vista incrível! Estátua do Michelangelo e uma vista da cidade de Firenze! E mais acima a Abbazia di San Miniato al Monte! Primeira tarde em Firenze! #firenze #michelangelo #piazzalemichelangelo #abbaziadisanminiatoalmonte #italia (em Piazzale Michelangelo)