San Miniato is part of our Tour of Tuscany and the Tuscan Via Francigena. Find all the details on these pages:
Tour of Tuscany: https://www.spiritualtour.it/en/tuscany-tour/
Via Francigena in tuscany: https://www.spiritualtour.it/en/the-via-francigena-in-tuscany/
San Miniato is situated on a hill, a short distance from the Arno and halfway between Florence and Pisa. The origins of the town, famous for its delicious white truffle, date back to Etruscan-Roman times. Over the centuries, numerous important people such as Frederick Barbarossa and Pope Gregory V have stayed in the castle.
San Miniato is one of the stages marked out by Sigeric on his way back to Canterbury, known as the Via Francigena. The walk to San Miniato passes through the historic centre of the town and touches down at the foot of the hill, the ancient village of San Genesio, where Bishop Sigeric stopped on his way back to Canterbury. We will visit the historical centre, the main squares and the panoramic viewpoints over the surrounding hills. Plenty of free time to enjoy the village to the full.
On our tour we will see the 12th century Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta and San Genesio with its Matilda’s Tower and the Fortress of Frederick II. Further on, we will see the Palazzo Comunale which houses the Oratorio del Loretino and the Sala delle Sette Virtù where decisions on the administration of the municipality were taken after the death of Frederick II. Finally, the Bishop’s Seminary, a special building with a frescoed façade.
In short, a village waiting to be discovered, along a historical path or an organised tour.
