Piazza Michelangelo, found above the city of Florence, is surely the most famous spots of the city for a picture postcard view of the churches, monuments, roof-tops, and bridges that represent the world renown city of art which is Florence. The piazza was designed and built by a project due to the architect Giuseppe Poggi in 1865 the same year that Florence became capital of Italy and was committed to renovating the urban sector.
As tells the name, the Piazza was dedicated to the great Renaissance and world famous artist and sculptor Michelangelo Buonarroti. Monuments found in the piazza dedicated to Michelangelo include replicas of the 4 bronze statues depicting Day, Night, Dawn, and Dusk all dominated by another exquisite replica of the Statue of David.
Poggi also designed the Neoclassic style loggia that dominates the terrace, which today hosts restaurants giving their guests a spectacular panoramic view, but was originally designed to hold a museum of art dedicated to Michelangelo never brought to life.
Uphill from the Piazza, one can visit the historical church of San Miniato, Florence's first Christian martyr. The church was named after Minias who arrived in Florence in around 250 A.D., leaving his wealth behind him, to become a hermit. Unfortunately, he saw a grim death when he was decapitated not long after during the persecutions held under the empire of Decius. Legend narrates that after his beheading, he picked up his head, put it back on his shoulders and returned to the cave on Monte alle Croci where he had lived as a hermit, and died there. It was on this spot that the first chapel and oratory of San Miniato was built in the 4th century.
Later in 1018 the Basilica we see today began to take shape. The church originally belonged to the Benedictine monks before it was turned over to the Olivetan Friars in the 1300's.
It is an exquisite example of architecture containing mosaics, intarsias, frescoes, inlaid wooden furnishings, and other works of art to be admired.
An ancient Bishop's Palace is found next to the church which later became a convent and then a Jesuit hospital.

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