A Visit to The Cemetery of Porte Sante

By Csilla Breznay, BA student

To get the best ariel view of Florence many trek through the hillside rose garden or up the steep stone stairway toward Piazzale Michelangelo. A slightly further walk upward another stone staircase can be found, which leads to San Miniato al Monte, a Romanesque style basilica built between the 11th and 13th centuries. The basilica’s facade is a breathtaking view of geometrical green and white marble. It also features a center mosaic that glimmers in the warm afternoon sunlight. Seeing the inside of San Miniato is also worth the visit. The interior zodiac marble floor and hand-painted wooden ceiling are but a few awe-inspiring elements in this deeply enigmatic landmark. Legend has it that after San Miniato was beheaded alongside the Arno, he carried his head in his hands to the top of the hill, and died in the very place the oratory was founded. In the early 11th century it was rebuilt as a church.

Just behind the basilica lies a truly magical place, the Cemetery of Porte Sante (il Cimitero delle Porte Sante). As a person who seeks out the beauty in places that some may find morose, I always found cemeteries to be a place of silence, architectural mastery, and oddities I can easily revel in. To the left of the church lies the entrance, a relatively small doorway opening onto stacked crypts. Giant cypress trees shade the somewhat unkempt cemetery. Nature permitted to thrive beside headstones and towering mausoleums exhibits an endearing quality. As time has discolored and worn away marble statues and obelisks, corroded metal gates to an enchanting rusted orange or oxidized green and given way to flowers breaching through cement walkways, one feels as though they are transported to a place where time stands still—I’ve always felt this way about cemeteries. Even though time is what transforms them, they always feel so motionless and reflective. Spread throughout the cemetery are private chapels and tombs with a myriad of architectural styles from neo-classic to Art Nouveau and Art Deco.

Taking your time to wander and explore lends to discoveries of countless hidden gems– traditional Italian hand-painted ceramics and stained glass adorn many of the mausoleums, cracked tombs remind us of the power behind an ever-changing landscape and elaborate and emotional stone tributes rise above dearly loved family members. Needless to say, aside from the epic views of the surrounding countryside and cityscape, an afternoon meandering through the Cemetery of Porte Sante is an insightful and obscure introduction to the Florentine people and their exceptional history.

*The cemetery is open from Monday-Saturday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm and closes at 1:00 pm on Sundays. Hours may vary due to Covid.