San Miniato

Recently, while walking up the stairs to the Church of San Miniato al Monte on the outskirts of Florence, I never thought I could see such a beautiful view. The entire city of Florence is visible from the porch in front of the church. The Duomo dominates the skyline while the mountains and hills of Tuscany form a beautiful backdrop of the city. Before my visit, I knew of the church but I did not know where it was located. Yet, since I walked along the Arno River everyday in order to reach school, I would see this magnificent church perched on top of a hill as if it were looking down upon each and every Florentine. Little did I know that this church I saw each and every day was the Church of San Miniato al Monte, one of the most beautiful churches in all of Italy. As for the church itself, the Romanesque structures of its interior and exterior are perfectly built. The splendid marble façade of the church is gorgeous and can be seen form throughout the city of Florence. The gold mosaic in the center of the façade, depicting Christ as the Redeemer, is beautiful as well. Also, the entire complex if San Miniato al Monte is huge. The Cimitero delle Porte Sante, which surrounds the church itself, is lined with an abundant amount of superb neo-Gothic tombstones, including the tomb of the Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci. As for the interior of the church, the beautiful marble columns stand out to the casual viewer. The work of art above the alter, Pantokrator, or Divine Christ,  is absolutely stunning as well.