Treasures of Tuscany
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San Miniato is a town and municipality in the province of Pisa, in Tuscany. The town is situated on top of three hills and dominates the Lower Arno Valley. It is located at the intersection of the streets that join Florence, Pisa, Lucca, Siena and the famous Via Francigena, which was the main connecting route between Northern Europe and Rome in the Middle Ages. The landscape is enchanting with old boroughs, ancient churches, amazing Medici villas, castles and tobacco mills.
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HISTORY San Miniato is a land of Etruscan and Roman settlements. The town was founded by the Lombards in the 8th century when they built a church dedicated to the martyr Miniato. The town has, therefore, Germanic origins and in the Middle Ages it became known as San Miniato al Tedesco. In the 10th century, under Otto I, Duke of Saxony, San Miniato became one of the centres of the Imperial administration and in the 13th century, under Frederick II of Swabia, who built his castle in San Miniato in 1218, the town was fortified with walls and other defensive works, including the Fortress. San Miniato became a free Commune at the end of the 13th century. Great monasteries, schools, institutions and hospitals were built during this period. In the 13th and the 14th centuries, San Miniato was drawn into the ongoing conflict between the Ghibellines and the Guelphs. By 1370 the town was under Florentine control. Later it became part of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany and it was still part of it when it was absorbed into the Kingdom of Italy in 1860. At the end of the 19th century San Miniato had become a town in its own right. During the Second World War the German Army mined and destroyed Frederick II’s Fortress but it was rebuilt in 1958.
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Our walking tour starts with Grifoni Palace. This Renaissance Palace was built by Giuliano of Baccio d'Agnolo for Ugolino Grifoni, Secretary of the Grand Duke Cosimo I of the Medici Family, in 1555. The building was destroyed during the Second World War, later it was restored and regained its original splendour. Now it is the headquarters of Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di San Miniato.
We can continue our tour towards Piazza del Popolo with its Church of the Saints Jacopo and Lucia, also called San Domenico’s Church, with its adjacent Cloisters of the Convent. This church dates back to 1330 so it is very old, as we can see from its façade. Inside the church we can admire some works of art such as Giovanni Chellini’s tomb, attributed to Bernardo Rossellino, a fresco depicting “Scenes from San Domenico’s Life” by Antonio Domenico Bamberini, “The Virgin Mary with the Infant Jesus and the Saints Cosmas, Damian, John the Evangelist and Thomas” by Domenico di Michelino and “The Deposition” by Francesco Morandini called “Il Poppi” .
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Next to the church we can admire the amazing Via Angelica, which is an ancient path that runs along the right wall of the Church of the Saints Jacopo and Lucia. In the past it was the connecting route between the town and the countryside. Along this ancient path there are three chapels decorated with 14th-century frescoes and 18th-century decorations. In one of these chapels, Saint Urban’s Oratory, we can see frescoes depicting “Scenes from the Way of the Cross” and “Saint Urban Pope”. We next visit the Archconfraternity of Mercy in Roffia Palace, which contains devotional objects connected with the role of this important institution such as a 19th-century horse-drawn ambulance, 18th-century lanterns and some splendid paintings.
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Our tour continues towards Piazza del Seminario, where we can admire the Palace of the Seminary. The square has an asymmetric shape. The palace dates back to 1713 and it is characterized by its concave faรงade decorated with 18th-century frescoes and phrases in Latin. In the Middle Ages there were houses and shops whose wooden doors can still be seen. On the other side of the square we can see the rear faรงade of the Bishop's Palace.
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We next head for Piazza del Duomo, where we can admire the Cathedral, which is dedicated to Santa Maria Assunta and San Genesio. It was built in the 12th century and has a beautiful Romanesque façade, which also exhibits Gothic and Renaissance architectural elements. The Church has a Latin cross plan with three naves and houses many works of art such as a 17th–century wooden crucifix by Iacopo di Giuliano Sani, Giovanni Battista Sandrini’s baptismal font, four marble busts of famous men from San Miniato: Iacopo Buonaparte, Pietro Bagnoli, Giovacchino Taddei and Francesco Maria Poggi and frescoes by Antonio Domenico Bamberini and Francesco Lanfranchi. Its Bell Tower, called Matilde Tower, has an asymmetrical clock and dates back to the 12th century. Its name refers to the Countess Matilde of Canossa, who was probably born in San Miniato. Next to the Cathedral there is the Diocesan Museum of Sacred Art housing paintings by famous artists such as Iacopo Chimenti called “L’ Empoli”, Francesco Morandini called “Il Poppi”, Lorenzo Lippi, Giovanni Bilivert, Cenni di Francesco di Ser Cenni, Neri di Bicci, Iacopo di Mino del Pellicciaio and Lorenzo Monaco.
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In Piazza del Duomo we can also admire the Bishop’s Palace, which is the residence of the Bishop of San Miniato and features a chapel dedicated to the Assumption and St. John the Baptist, the Imperial Vicars’ Palace, dating back to the 12thcentury, and its Tower, which was used as a prison. Leaving Piazza del Duomo behind us, we head off to the Sanctuary of the Most Holy Crucifix. This Baroque church, which stands between the Fort, the Cathedral and the Town Hall, was built in the 18th century. While the decoration of the façade is very simple, the walls inside the church are completely painted with "Scenes from Jesus Christ's Life" by Antonio Domenico Bamberini. On the main altar there is a tabernacle containing the famous "Holy Crucifix", which is venerated and thought to be miraculous.
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In front of the Sanctuary there is the Town Hall, which was built at the end of the 13th century. Inside we can admire two beautiful rooms decorated with the 14th and 16th- century amazing frescoes: La Sala delle Sette Virtù and La Sala Consiliare.
The frescoes in La Sala delle Sette Virtù were painted between the 14th and the 16th centuries. The most important fresco is the “Virgin Mary nursing her Child surrounded by the Theological and Cardinal Virtues”, attributed to Cenni di Francesco di Ser Cenni. In the middle of the painting, you can see the Virgin Mary and the Infant Jesus. Around her there are some female figures, who are symbols of the Seven Virtues. “Justice” is holding a sword in her right hand and scales in her left hand; “Prudence” is pointing to a mirror with her right hand;“Temperance” is holding a phial of wine mixed up with water in her right hand; “Fortitude” is holding a sword and is wearing a helmet; “Hope” is praying; “Charity” has got a flame in her right hand and a piece of paper in her left hand and “Faith” has a cross on her left shoulder.
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La Sala Consiliare is situated next to the “Sala delle Sette Virtù” and contains Francesco Maria Galli Angelini’s famous frescoes depicting the history of San Miniato during the Middle Ages. In one of these frescoes we can see a knight riding a horse and holding a sword in his right hand. On the right there is a parchment and on the left there is the knight's Coat of Arms. Next to this fresco, we can see a man holding a green book in his left hand and a quill in his right hand. He is wearing a red robe and a red hat. In the corner there is his family’s Coat of Arms. In another fresco we can see the Virgin Mary talking to San Miniato, San Genesio, Sant'Agostino and San Francesco. The room is decorated with frescoes depicting the Coats of Arms of famous Noble Families from San Miniato and famous leaders such as Franco Sacchetti, Francesco Sforza and Barone de’ Mangiadori .
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Don’t miss the visit to the Oratory of Loretino, which was built inside the Town Hall as the governors’ private chapel at the end of the 13th century. It became an important place of worship in the 14th century when the wooden image of the holy crucifix, considered to have miraculous powers, was placed here. According to a legend, the simulacrum was brought to San Miniato by two mysterious travellers, who were probably two angels. They left it in the house of a poor widow. It was closed up in a case and it emanated an “arcane” light at night. It became a symbol of peace and love. The veneration of the Holy Crucifix increased between 1629 and 1631 when the Bubonic Plague spread in Italy. A church was built in honour of the Holy Crucifix, which was placed in the Sanctuary of the Most Holy Crucifix. The Oratory contains decorations by Francesco Lanfranchi called “Spillo”, a magnificent altar attributed to Noferi di Antonio di Noferi and a wooden statue of the “Madonna di Loreto”, which gives the chapel its present name. The walls are decorated with 14th-century frescoes illustrating “Episodes from Jesus Christ’s Life”.
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During our walking tour we stop at Retrobottega for lunch. Here you can taste typical Tuscan food created by the famous butcher Sergio Falaschi, his son, Andrea, and their staff by using high-quality local products and enjoy a wonderful view of the countryside. We suggest you have “crostini” and a selection of “salumi” (cold cuts) such as “sopressata”, ham, “rigatino”, “finocchiona”, “spuma di gota”, “mallegato”, pasta with sausage and leek sauce, “pappa al pomodoro”, Florentine steak with grated truffles and “Cantuccini” with “Vin Santo”.
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SLOW FOOD San Miniato is a “Slow Town” and is famous for its wines, extra-virgin olive oil, pork products and many other local agricultural products used by craftsmen in order to create high-quality products, which have become the basis of "Slow Food". In this period of globalisation, some towns have decided to form an organisation, where slowness and typical local food are symbols of a good and healthy lifestyle so the Slow Town Association has come to life. San Miniato is famous for Spuma di Gota, Sopressata and Mallegato, created by the famous butcher Sergio Falaschi and his staff, who have just opened a restaurant behind the butcher’s shop. Mallegato is made by using pig blood and fat, nutmeg, cinnamon, pine nuts, raisins and other spices. This mixture is boiled and packed inside a casing. When it is cold, it is sliced and eaten as a starter. Spuma di Gota is made by flavouring pig cheeks and chopping them until they become soft. It is ideal on hot toasted bread as a starter. Sopressata is made by boiling pig’s head cheek, tongue and skin. All the laced ingredients are cut in small pieces. The mixture is, then, placed in a particular cloth so to make the pigjelly getting out. It is eaten cold with bread.
MERCATALE The Slow Food Association and other associations organise a market called Mercatale , where consumers can buy local fresh products such as milk, eggs, fruit and vegetables directly from farmers and local producers. This market is held in Piazza Dante Alighieri on Sunday once a month. The famous Mercatale is part of a project called “filiera corta” ("short distribution chain"), a regional network for the promotion of fresh agricultural products in Tuscany.
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After lunch we head off to the Tower of Frederick II, called the Fort, which is a 37-metre tall tower, built by Frederick II of Swabia in 1217. It was the central core of the Imperial defensive system. It is the landmark of the town. The tower was destroyed during the Second World War and rebuilt in 1958. From its top you can admire the special ribbon-like layout of the town and stunning landscapes such as the area of the Lower Valdarno, Volterra’s hills, the Apennines and the sea. Pier delle Vigne, Frederick II's Chancellor, was imprisoned here for treason until his death, as Dante writes in “Inferno"(13th "Canto”) in his “Divine Comedy".
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Leaving the Fort behind us, we reach the 14th-century Convent and Church of Saint Francis. Saint Francis stayed in San Miniato for a short time and founded this convent. For many centuries it was one of the main Franciscan centres in Tuscany.
Inside the church there are twelve altars dedicated to Franciscan saints and famous families from San Miniato such as the Buonaparte family, 16th and 17th-century paintings and frescoes depicting Saint Francis and other Franciscan saints, Saint Francis’s statue by Luca and Piero Bonicelli and a 16th-century wooden crucifix.
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+We next head to Piazza Bonaparte, flanked by ancient palaces built by noble families from San Miniato between the 16th and the 18th centuries. In this square we can admire a marble monument dedicated to the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Leopoldo II also called Canapone, Palazzo Bonaparte and the Saints Sebastian and Rocco’s Church, which was the Bonaparte family ’s chapel and houses Saint Rocco’s relics and a Gothic water soup. Our walking tour continues towards Piazza XX Settembre, where you can visit Santa Caterina’s Church dating back to the 13th century and the Euteleti Academy, which is housed in Palazzo Migliorati and contains Napoleon Bonaparte’s funeral mask and ancient documents.
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Leaving this square we head for Piazza Dante Alighieri, also called “Il Piazzale”, where San Miniato’ s market is held on Tuesday mornings. Here you can see Giosue’ Carducci’s Statue. Giosue’ Carducci was a famous Italian writer, who lived in San Miniato from 1856 to 1857.
We next head off to Palazzo Formichini, seat of “Cassa di Risparmio di San Miniato”. The palace was built in the 16th century and contains works of art by famous artists such as Benedetto Bigordi called “Il Ghirlandaio”, Ludovico Cardi called “Il Cigoli”, Iacopo Chimenti called “L’ Empoli” and Giovanni Bilivert.
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Our tour proceeds along via Giosue’ Carducci, where you can visit The Most Holy Annunziata’s Church, containing Saint Augustine’s statue, Saint Dorothea ’s relics and some frescoes .
From here it is easy to reach the Conservatory of Santa Chiara. The Monastery of Santa Chiara was built in the 13th century but the present building dates back to the 14th century. The nuns of Saint Clare’s order stayed there until the end of the 18th century when it was transformed into a Conservatory for girls' education. Later it became a school premises.
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The building is arranged around a cloister with arcades and it has a chapel dedicated to Saint Mary Magdalene. The Conservatory houses “Noli me Tangere�, a wonderful painting by Ludovico Cardi, on which the appearance of Christ to Mary Magdalene is represented. There are also paintings by Jacopo Chimenti and Antonio Domenico Bamberini and a magnificent Medieval cross painted by Deodato Orlandi in 1301.
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We leave your enjoy your afternoon at leisure. We suggest you have a walk along the famous Via Francigena, which runs through the town centre and touches small villages in the countryside. The landscape is enchanting with tobacco mills, old boroughs, amazing Medici villas and ancient churches. If you are interested in ancient history, you can visit San Genesio’s Archaeological Site. The site was considered one of the main stops along the Via Francigena, which was the pilgrimage route from Canterbury to Rome in the Middle Ages.
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VIA FRANCIGENA During the Middle Ages, the Via Francigena was an important pilgrimage route, not a single road, although it included several possible routes that changed over the centuries. “All roads leads to Rome, you know!” The Via Francigena, unlike ancient Roman roads, connected abbeys, linking the sacred places of the Christian world. This road soon became an important route for men and goods, thus contributing to the great rebirth of European commerce. The increasing use of the Via Francigena as a trade route led to the development of many towns along the road. The route became the main route to take goods from the east (silk, spices...) to the markets of northern Europe and trade them for cloth from Flanders and Brabant to the Champagne fairs. In the 13th century the growing importance of Florence and the Arno Valley area marked the end of this ancient route. Nowadays the official route is divided into 79 stages and begins in Canterbury, continues in France, Switzerland and Italy and ends in Rome. It is 2,000 km long and crosses seven Italian regions - Valle d'Aosta, Piedmont, Lombardy, Emilia Romagna, Liguria, Tuscany and Lazio and 140 municipalities, with a total of 44 stages in Italy. Today the Via Francigena is also a journey through the Italian landscape, which changes greatly: from the pastures of the Aosta Valley to the industrial and agricultural plains of Piedmont, from the Po River to the rolling hills of Emilia, from the harshness of northern Tuscany to the sweetness of the Crete Senesi and the enchantment of the volcanic lakes of Lazio. This journey makes modern pilgrims really understand the landscape , the past and the present. The journey turns into a gradual immersion in the roots of our culture, in which changes in the landscape, small and great works of art, the people we meet along the road, make us understand the essence of our heritage. San Miniato is the part of project “San Miniato in the heart of Tuscany Via Francigena". Low cost “pilgrim” accommodation (religious facilities, hostels, guesthouses…) and “tourist” accommodation (hotels, B&Bs, accommodation in farms,…) are available along the Via Francigena. A Festival called Francigena Melody Road is held on the Via Francigena in San Miniato in summer.
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We suggest you have dinner at Pizzeria Vecchio Cinema, located in the town centre. Here you can taste “bruschetta”, “salumi” (cold cuts) and ham or chickpea soup, “pappa al pomodoro”, pasta with pesto sauce or spaghetti with tomato sauce, chicken stew with beans with extra-virgin olive oil or pizza. If you want to taste high-quality meat, you can have dinner at La Bisteccheria, a nice restaurant where you can have a large variety of starters such as “crostini” and a selection of a selection of “salumi” (cold cuts), “tagliata” or Florentine steak with roast potatoes and “Cantuccini” with “Vin Santo”.
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TRUFFLED PARMESAN RISOTTO Ingredients 500 g rice 60 g butter 100 g grated parmesan 50 g white truffles (sliced or pâté)
Cook the rice traditionally and add grated parmesan, butter and a half of the truffle. Mix and serve hot with slices of white truffle.
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EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL Tuscany is famous for its top-quality extra-virgin olive oil. We suggest you have a half-day tour in La Serra, a small village near San Miniato, in order to discover the secrets of extra-virgin olive oil production. You will visit Frantoio Samminiatese, a pressing mill immersed in the Tuscan countryside and surrounded by lovely olive groves. “Frantoio Samminiatese” has been producing extra-virgin olive oil for over 50 years and the owners are excellent at the art of pressing and growing olive trees. Here you can taste “bruschetta” with extra-virgin olive oil and purchase a large variety of products such as aromatized olive oil, biological extravirgin olive oil and “IGP Tuscan” extravirgin olive oil.
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After dinner you can stop at Caffè Centrale, where you can listen to music and play board games with friends or at the lovely Chalet, which is a pleasant open-air meeting place. Here you can chat with friends and listen to music, sitting at the tables located in front of the kiosk. If you love music you can go to Le Piscine, where you can dance at the poolside. The disco opens at about 12.00 p.m. and closes at about 3.00 a.m.
In summer San Miniato attracts lots of young people and tourists as a great variety of events are organized in the town centre in the evening.The main events are La Notte Nera, La Luna è Azzurra, Festa del Teatro, A Castle of Sounds, Francigena Melody Road, Pinocchio in Strada and Meravigliosa Francigena.
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EVENTS NOT TO BE MISSED
LA LUNA Ăˆ AZZURRA Enjoy an evening of traditional Italian entertainment right in the heart of the town! La Luna è Azzurra has been held in San Miniato since the 1980s and attracts children, young people and adults from all over Tuscany. It features puppet, mime and music performances and puppet workshops for all age range.
LA NOTTE NERA La Notte Nera is held in San Miniato in June. Here you can taste a large variety of black truffle dishes and local wine. A great deal of restaurants and stalls, located in the main squares and streets of San Miniato, sell black truffles and other typical local products together with specialties from other Tuscan cities. San Miniato is famous for its truffles and the National White Truffle Exhibition, which has been held here in November for 46 years and is a market which attracts thousands of Italian and foreign visitors. The white truffle of San Miniato is known as the "Food of Kings" and populates the tables of the best restaurants in the world. The white truffle found in San Miniato Hills is the "Tuber Magnatum Pico" and is the most valuable type of truffle. San Miniato White truffle is a unique product. It features a light yellow colour with brown shades and it has a long-lasting delicious flavours. It is very expensive, because it is found in moderate quantities in particular periods of the year. You can find white truffles only from October to December.
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EVENT NOT TO BE MISSED
FESTA DEL TEATRO Theatre, plays and all types of performances have very old roots in San Miniato, perhaps ever since San Genesio, an actor, was chosen as its Patron Saint many centuries ago. The famous Istituto del Dramma Popolare (Folk Drama Institute), which collaborates with "Accademia di Arte Drammatica" (Dramatic Art Academy) in Rome, has had its headquarters in San Miniato since 1947 and they put on an openair performance of a religious drama in July every year. This performance attracts international dramatists, directors and actors.
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THE LEATHER & TANNING DISTRICT The area of Santa Croce sull'Arno and Ponte a Egola, in the municipality of San Miniato, is a very famous
tanning and leather manufacturing district. This area is also one of the most important tanning districts in the world, producing about 85% of Italian leather, with the brand "Vero Cuoio Italiano" (Real Italian Leather) and vegetable-tanned leathers. About one hundred companies offer the national and foreign markets topquality products for shoes and every type of leather goods. Innovation, technological development and constant attention to the environment led this district to build one of the first and most efficient centralized depuration plants in Italy in 1980.
Bibliografia: Fondazione San Miniato Promozione, “San Miniato Terra d’Eccellenza”; ”Sistema Museale San Miniato”; G. Nanni, I.Regoli ,“San Miniato. Guida storico–artistica della citta’ e del suo territorio”. Sitografia: San Miniato, www.wikipedia.org
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I.T. CATTANEO SAN MINIATO (PISA) ITALY
Treasures of Tuscany 4 A Turismo A.S. 2016-2017
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