Fantastic Florence Sights: Michelangelo Terrace and San Miniato Basilica

(60 reviews)

Florence audio tour: Fantastic Florence Sights: Michelangelo Terrace and San Miniato Basilica

This is a 1mi walking tour

It takes an average of 60 mins to complete.

Florence

Italy

$9.99

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About the Tour

Florence may be the birthplace of the Renaissance but its first golden era flourished during the Middle Ages. On this walking tour through the city‘s green quarters, we‘ll peel back its diverse layers of history as we ascend from Ponte Alle Grazie (one of the many bridges crossing the river Arno) to Basilica di San Miniato where our tour ends. Along the way, I‘ll point out some of my favorite Florentine sights.

This Florence tour takes you through the historical and hip San Niccolò neighborhood where you‘ll find plenty of bars and trattorias to whet your appetite. We‘ll then venture uphill, through the picturesque rose garden, Giardino delle Roseto, to Piazzale Michelangelo which boasts breathtaking panoramic city views. You‘ll walk across cobblestone lanes, through medieval doors like Porta San Miniato, and pass beautiful churches including Chiesa di San Niccolò Oltrarno and Chiesa di San Salvatore al Monte.You‘ll see beautiful artworks, hear about the artists and find out where you can purchase some for yourself like at Clet Studio.

On this tour, you‘ll have a chance to:

Take in Ponte Vecchio, the city‘s oldest bridge still existing, from a unique vantage point
Discover why the Arno river was a key factor in the city‘s development
Pass by the Bardini Museum, home to artworks from the Middle Ages and Renaissance
Explore the tiny San Niccolò neighborhood
Find unusual artworks in the colorful rose garden
Spot Florence‘s famed palaces and churches from the Piazzale Michelangelo lookout point
Hear about the 1966 flooding
See Cimitero delle Porte Sante, a monumental cemetery filled with funerary chapels and sepulchers

So, join me on this hour-long stroll as we pull back the veil of Florentine history and discover the treasure trove awaiting us.

Tour Producer

Fabio Strufaldi

2 tours

My name is Fabio, a local knowledgeable tour guide! I was born in Pistoia, a nice Tuscan town not far from Florence. I lived in London, Dublin, Barcelona and Granada and since 2016 I've moved to the city cradle of Renaissance: Florentia for the latin, Fiorenza in the Middle Ages, Firenze in modern times.

Thanks to my multifaceted background of study I can be competent, informative, witty and capable of managing the weirdest situations! I have a Degree of Economics, a Master Degree of Labour Science, Diploma of Digital Marketing and Degree of History of Art. Also, I am a foodie so you can find useful tips in my tours.

I have travelled a lot around the world, then I was established for a few years in Ireland and Spain (11 years in total). These experiences have opened my mind and enriched my heart. I speak English, Spanish and Catalan and my Italian is considered the perfect one: Dante Alighieri's language! My staple are art and history, besides that I like eating out, cinema, travel and sports.

Lately I have developed have a passion for the ancient Greece, and I am deep diving into its art, history, philosophy and literature, with frequent journey on site.

Preview Location

Location 19

Michelangelo Terrace

Stop here at the corner of the terrace and take in the amazing views.

Can you see the massive dome in red bricks, and below, the Duomo, the Cathedral, decorated in white, green and red marbles? That is one of the symbols of Florence. The church was built from 1296 onwards i... Stop here at the corner of the terrace and take in the amazing views.

Can you see the massive dome in red bricks, and below, the Duomo, the Cathedral, decorated in white, green and red marbles? That is one of the symbols of Florence. The church was built from 1296 onwards in the Gothic style. It replaced a previous version of the Duomo, named after the local saint Reparata, because the old Duomo was not big enough for a city in constant development. Bear in mind that Fiorenza, the medieval name, was at the end of the 13th century, the second most populated city in Europe! When the Duomo was completed, though, no architect dared to start the construction of the dome fearing it would collapse due to the dimensions. We have to wait until 1420 when the genius Filippo Brunelleschi began the work and completed it in only 16 years, making an egg-shaped double dome with two curved shells separated by a space 5 to 7 feet wide.

Slightly on the left you can see the tower of Palazzo Vecchio. It was the first permanent seat of the local government and a symbol for centuries of the civic power. Right from the Republic, through the monarchy of the Medici, til today, being used as the City Hall.

On the right, you can see a huge church made of pieces of stones, with a marble facade: it is Basilica of Santa Croce. Buried there are many Italian geniuses such as Michelangelo and Galileo Galilei. In the background the green small dome of the synagogue and on top of the first chain of hills in that direction, the village of Fiesole. Here the Estruscans founded a prosperous town long before the arrival of the Romans who founded our city.

You can also see clearly the straight track of the river Arno, on the south side of which, opposite Duomo, there is the lively district of Oltrarno. On the highest peak of these you can see a construction. It's the main building of Forte Belvedere, the Fortress. It was officially commissioned by the Grand Duke Ferdinando I de' Medici to defend the city against enemies' attacks but actually to protect their family from potential uprising of the population!

A few words about this square: Michelangelo Terrace was designed by architect Giuseppe Poggi in 1869 after Florence was named Italy's capital city. It was the panoramic view along the Viale dei Colli, the hill boulevard, travelled by carriages at the time when the Grand Tour of Italy was very popular amongst tourists, especially from the northern European countries. The square was then named after Michelangelo when the big bronze David, a copy of the original with the same size, was placed in the middle of the esplanade.

When you are ready to get going, turn around and walk back along the side-walk with the balcony on your right-hand side. Keep walking past the large stairs and follow the path to the end of terrace, where it meets the road.

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Major Landmarks

Ponte alle Grazie
Clet’s Common Man
Piazza dè Mozzi
Stefano Bardini Museum
Chiesa di San Niccolò Oltrarno
Porta San Miniato
Giardino delle Rose
Piazzale Michelangelo
Belvedere Franco Zeffirelli
Chiesa di San Salvatore al Monte
Cimitero delle Porte Sante
Basilica di San Miniato
Monastic pharmacy of the Abbey of San Miniato al Monte

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Getting There

Route Overview

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a set starting point. It’s how we give turn-by-turn directions and tell a story greater than the sum of its parts.

Start location
Ponte alle Grazie, 50125 Firenze FI, Italy
Total distance

2km
Final location
Via delle Porte Sante, 34, 50125 Firenze FI, Italy
Distance back to start location

898.99m

Directions to Starting Point

The tour starts in the middle of Ponte alle Grazie bridge, Lungarno delle Grazie, 50122 Firenze FI, Italy

I is the next bridge to the east of Ponte Vecchio.

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Tips

Places to stop along the way

Bardini Museum (only if you like ancient art very much, it will take at least one hour more).

Clet art shop at San Niccolò.

Food&drink at San Niccolò:

Come dio comanda (excellent paninis)
Osteria Antica Mescita San Niccolò (wine bar and also food)
Boccadarno and Principe del Mare (restaurant of fish/seafood)
Enoteca Bevovino (value trattoria with local specialties)
Enoteca Fuoriporta (good restaurant)

At the top of the rose garden there is a kiosk bar open in spring and summer where you can stop for a refreshing drink

The large monumental cemetery of Porte Sante (inside the enclosure of the San Miniato abbey). Aside of the facade of the Basilica, take a look at the ancient Pharmacy, managed by the local friars. They sell home-made products such as jam, honey and liquors

Best time of day

From early morning until 7 pm (in the winter the sunset is around 5-5.30 so consider so). In July/August try to avoid the central hours because the heat may be extreme. The Basilica of San Miniato closes at 7pm (8pm in the summer). At 6.30 there are chorus vespers but the basilica is still open.

Precautions

In the summer absolutely recommendable are a cap and enough water, even though you will find a lot of bars along the way. The climb is very easy along footpath and stairs for any age!

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