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The equestrian statue of Ferdinando I was originally commissioned from an elderly Giambologna (1529 - 1608) and completed by his pupil Pietro Tacca.<br/><br/> Ferdinando I de' Medici (30 July 1549 – 17 February 1609) was Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1587 to 1609, having succeeded his older brother Francesco I.
The equestrian statue of Ferdinando I was originally commissioned from an elderly Giambologna (1529 - 1608) and completed by his pupil Pietro Tacca.<br/><br/> Ferdinando I de' Medici (30 July 1549 – 17 February 1609) was Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1587 to 1609, having succeeded his older brother Francesco I.
The equestrian statue of Ferdinando I was originally commissioned from an elderly Giambologna (1529 - 1608) and completed by his pupil Pietro Tacca.<br/><br/> Ferdinando I de' Medici (30 July 1549 – 17 February 1609) was Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1587 to 1609, having succeeded his older brother Francesco I.
The equestrian statue of Ferdinando I was originally commissioned from an elderly Giambologna (1529 - 1608) and completed by his pupil Pietro Tacca.<br/><br/> Ferdinando I de' Medici (30 July 1549 – 17 February 1609) was Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1587 to 1609, having succeeded his older brother Francesco I.
According to local legend, Siena was founded by Senius and Aschius, two sons of Remus and thus nephews of Romulus, after whom Rome was named. Supposedly after their father's murder by Romulus, they fled Rome, taking with them the statue of the she-wolf suckling the infants (Capitoline Wolf), thus appropriating that symbol for the town.
The Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption was originally designed and completed between 1215 and 1263 on the site of an earlier structure. It has the form of a Latin cross with a slightly projecting transept, a dome and a bell tower.<br/><br/> The dome rises from a hexagonal base with supporting columns. The lantern atop the dome was added by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The nave is separated from the two aisles by semicircular arches. The exterior and interior are constructed of white and greenish-black marble in alternating stripes, with addition of red marble on the façade.
The Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption was originally designed and completed between 1215 and 1263 on the site of an earlier structure. It has the form of a Latin cross with a slightly projecting transept, a dome and a bell tower.<br/><br/> The dome rises from a hexagonal base with supporting columns. The lantern atop the dome was added by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The nave is separated from the two aisles by semicircular arches. The exterior and interior are constructed of white and greenish-black marble in alternating stripes, with addition of red marble on the façade.
According to local legend, Siena was founded by Senius and Aschius, two sons of Remus and thus nephews of Romulus, after whom Rome was named. Supposedly after their father's murder by Romulus, they fled Rome, taking with them the statue of the she-wolf suckling the infants (Capitoline Wolf), thus appropriating that symbol for the town.
The Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption was originally designed and completed between 1215 and 1263 on the site of an earlier structure. It has the form of a Latin cross with a slightly projecting transept, a dome and a bell tower.<br/><br/> The dome rises from a hexagonal base with supporting columns. The lantern atop the dome was added by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The nave is separated from the two aisles by semicircular arches. The exterior and interior are constructed of white and greenish-black marble in alternating stripes, with addition of red marble on the façade.
The Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption was originally designed and completed between 1215 and 1263 on the site of an earlier structure. It has the form of a Latin cross with a slightly projecting transept, a dome and a bell tower.<br/><br/> The dome rises from a hexagonal base with supporting columns. The lantern atop the dome was added by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The nave is separated from the two aisles by semicircular arches. The exterior and interior are constructed of white and greenish-black marble in alternating stripes, with addition of red marble on the façade.
The Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption was originally designed and completed between 1215 and 1263 on the site of an earlier structure. It has the form of a Latin cross with a slightly projecting transept, a dome and a bell tower.<br/><br/> The dome rises from a hexagonal base with supporting columns. The lantern atop the dome was added by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The nave is separated from the two aisles by semicircular arches. The exterior and interior are constructed of white and greenish-black marble in alternating stripes, with addition of red marble on the façade.
The Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption was originally designed and completed between 1215 and 1263 on the site of an earlier structure. It has the form of a Latin cross with a slightly projecting transept, a dome and a bell tower.<br/><br/> The dome rises from a hexagonal base with supporting columns. The lantern atop the dome was added by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The nave is separated from the two aisles by semicircular arches. The exterior and interior are constructed of white and greenish-black marble in alternating stripes, with addition of red marble on the façade.
The Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption was originally designed and completed between 1215 and 1263 on the site of an earlier structure. It has the form of a Latin cross with a slightly projecting transept, a dome and a bell tower.<br/><br/> The dome rises from a hexagonal base with supporting columns. The lantern atop the dome was added by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The nave is separated from the two aisles by semicircular arches. The exterior and interior are constructed of white and greenish-black marble in alternating stripes, with addition of red marble on the façade.
The Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption was originally designed and completed between 1215 and 1263 on the site of an earlier structure. It has the form of a Latin cross with a slightly projecting transept, a dome and a bell tower.<br/><br/> The dome rises from a hexagonal base with supporting columns. The lantern atop the dome was added by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The nave is separated from the two aisles by semicircular arches. The exterior and interior are constructed of white and greenish-black marble in alternating stripes, with addition of red marble on the façade.
The Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption was originally designed and completed between 1215 and 1263 on the site of an earlier structure. It has the form of a Latin cross with a slightly projecting transept, a dome and a bell tower.<br/><br/> The dome rises from a hexagonal base with supporting columns. The lantern atop the dome was added by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The nave is separated from the two aisles by semicircular arches. The exterior and interior are constructed of white and greenish-black marble in alternating stripes, with addition of red marble on the façade.
The Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption was originally designed and completed between 1215 and 1263 on the site of an earlier structure. It has the form of a Latin cross with a slightly projecting transept, a dome and a bell tower.<br/><br/> The dome rises from a hexagonal base with supporting columns. The lantern atop the dome was added by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The nave is separated from the two aisles by semicircular arches. The exterior and interior are constructed of white and greenish-black marble in alternating stripes, with addition of red marble on the façade.
The Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption was originally designed and completed between 1215 and 1263 on the site of an earlier structure. It has the form of a Latin cross with a slightly projecting transept, a dome and a bell tower.<br/><br/> The dome rises from a hexagonal base with supporting columns. The lantern atop the dome was added by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The nave is separated from the two aisles by semicircular arches. The exterior and interior are constructed of white and greenish-black marble in alternating stripes, with addition of red marble on the façade.
According to legend, Montepulciano was founded by the Etruscan King Lars Porsena of Chiusi; recent findings prove that a settlement was already in existence in the 4th-3rd centuries BCE. In Roman times it was the seat of a garrison guarding the main roads of the area.<br/><br/> After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, it developed as a religious center under the Lombards. In the 12th century it was repeatedly attacked by the Republic of Siena, which the Poliziani faced with the help of the Perugia and Orvieto, and sometimes Florence, communes. The 14th century was characterized by constant struggles between the local noble families, until the Del Pecora family became rulers of the town.<br/><br/> From 1390, Montepulciano was a loyal ally (and later possession) of Florence and, until the mid-16th century, lived a period of splendour with architects such as Antonio da Sangallo the Elder, Jacopo Barozzi da Vignola, Baldassarre Peruzzi, Ippolito Scalza and others, building luxurious residences and other edifices here. In 1559, when Siena was conquered by Florence and Montepulciano lost its strategic role, its importance declined.
According to legend, Montepulciano was founded by the Etruscan King Lars Porsena of Chiusi; recent findings prove that a settlement was already in existence in the 4th-3rd centuries BCE. In Roman times it was the seat of a garrison guarding the main roads of the area.<br/><br/> After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, it developed as a religious center under the Lombards. In the 12th century it was repeatedly attacked by the Republic of Siena, which the Poliziani faced with the help of the Perugia and Orvieto, and sometimes Florence, communes. The 14th century was characterized by constant struggles between the local noble families, until the Del Pecora family became rulers of the town.<br/><br/> From 1390, Montepulciano was a loyal ally (and later possession) of Florence and, until the mid-16th century, lived a period of splendour with architects such as Antonio da Sangallo the Elder, Jacopo Barozzi da Vignola, Baldassarre Peruzzi, Ippolito Scalza and others, building luxurious residences and other edifices here. In 1559, when Siena was conquered by Florence and Montepulciano lost its strategic role, its importance declined.
According to legend, Montepulciano was founded by the Etruscan King Lars Porsena of Chiusi; recent findings prove that a settlement was already in existence in the 4th-3rd centuries BCE. In Roman times it was the seat of a garrison guarding the main roads of the area.<br/><br/> After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, it developed as a religious center under the Lombards. In the 12th century it was repeatedly attacked by the Republic of Siena, which the Poliziani faced with the help of the Perugia and Orvieto, and sometimes Florence, communes. The 14th century was characterized by constant struggles between the local noble families, until the Del Pecora family became rulers of the town.<br/><br/> From 1390, Montepulciano was a loyal ally (and later possession) of Florence and, until the mid-16th century, lived a period of splendour with architects such as Antonio da Sangallo the Elder, Jacopo Barozzi da Vignola, Baldassarre Peruzzi, Ippolito Scalza and others, building luxurious residences and other edifices here. In 1559, when Siena was conquered by Florence and Montepulciano lost its strategic role, its importance declined.
Niccolò di Pietro Gerini (c. 1340 – 1414) was an Italian painter of the late Gothic period, active mainly in his native Florence although he also carried out commissions in Pisa and Prato. He was not an innovative painter but relied on traditional compositions in which he placed his figures in a stiff and dramatic movement.
<i>The History of the True Cross</i> or <i>The Legend of the True Cross</i> is a sequence of frescoes painted by Piero della Francesca in the Basilica of San Francesco in Arezzo. It is his largest work, and generally considered one of his finest, and an early Renaissance masterpiece.<br/><br/> Its theme, derived from the popular 13th century book on the lives of saints by Jacopo da Voragine, the <i>Golden Legend</i>, is the triumph of the True Cross – the legend of the wood from the Garden of Eden becoming the Cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. This work demonstrates Piero’s advanced knowledge of perspective and colour, his geometric orderliness and skill in pictorial construction.
<i>The History of the True Cross</i> or <i>The Legend of the True Cross</i> is a sequence of frescoes painted by Piero della Francesca in the Basilica of San Francesco in Arezzo. It is his largest work, and generally considered one of his finest, and an early Renaissance masterpiece.<br/><br/> Its theme, derived from the popular 13th century book on the lives of saints by Jacopo da Voragine, the <i>Golden Legend</i>, is the triumph of the True Cross – the legend of the wood from the Garden of Eden becoming the Cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. This work demonstrates Piero’s advanced knowledge of perspective and colour, his geometric orderliness and skill in pictorial construction.
<i>The History of the True Cross</i> or <i>The Legend of the True Cross</i> is a sequence of frescoes painted by Piero della Francesca in the Basilica of San Francesco in Arezzo. It is his largest work, and generally considered one of his finest, and an early Renaissance masterpiece.<br/><br/> Its theme, derived from the popular 13th century book on the lives of saints by Jacopo da Voragine, the <i>Golden Legend</i>, is the triumph of the True Cross – the legend of the wood from the Garden of Eden becoming the Cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. This work demonstrates Piero’s advanced knowledge of perspective and colour, his geometric orderliness and skill in pictorial construction.
<i>The History of the True Cross</i> or <i>The Legend of the True Cross</i> is a sequence of frescoes painted by Piero della Francesca in the Basilica of San Francesco in Arezzo. It is his largest work, and generally considered one of his finest, and an early Renaissance masterpiece.<br/><br/> Its theme, derived from the popular 13th century book on the lives of saints by Jacopo da Voragine, the <i>Golden Legend</i>, is the triumph of the True Cross – the legend of the wood from the Garden of Eden becoming the Cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. This work demonstrates Piero’s advanced knowledge of perspective and colour, his geometric orderliness and skill in pictorial construction.
<i>The History of the True Cross</i> or <i>The Legend of the True Cross</i> is a sequence of frescoes painted by Piero della Francesca in the Basilica of San Francesco in Arezzo. It is his largest work, and generally considered one of his finest, and an early Renaissance masterpiece.<br/><br/> Its theme, derived from the popular 13th century book on the lives of saints by Jacopo da Voragine, the <i>Golden Legend</i>, is the triumph of the True Cross – the legend of the wood from the Garden of Eden becoming the Cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. This work demonstrates Piero’s advanced knowledge of perspective and colour, his geometric orderliness and skill in pictorial construction.
Bicci di Lorenzo (1373–1452) was an Italian painter and sculptor, active in Florence.<br/><br/> He was born in Florence in 1373, the son of the painter, Lorenzo di Bicci, whose workshop he joined. He married in 1418, and in 1424 was registered in the Guild of Painters at Florence. His son, Neri di Bicci was also a painter and took over the family workshop. Bicci di Lorenzo died in Florence in 1452 and was buried in Santa Maria del Carmine.
<i>The History of the True Cross</i> or <i>The Legend of the True Cross</i> is a sequence of frescoes painted by Piero della Francesca in the Basilica of San Francesco in Arezzo. It is his largest work, and generally considered one of his finest, and an early Renaissance masterpiece.<br/><br/> Its theme, derived from the popular 13th century book on the lives of saints by Jacopo da Voragine, the <i>Golden Legend</i>, is the triumph of the True Cross – the legend of the wood from the Garden of Eden becoming the Cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. This work demonstrates Piero’s advanced knowledge of perspective and colour, his geometric orderliness and skill in pictorial construction.
<i>The History of the True Cross</i> or <i>The Legend of the True Cross</i> is a sequence of frescoes painted by Piero della Francesca in the Basilica of San Francesco in Arezzo. It is his largest work, and generally considered one of his finest, and an early Renaissance masterpiece.<br/><br/> Its theme, derived from the popular 13th century book on the lives of saints by Jacopo da Voragine, the <i>Golden Legend</i>, is the triumph of the True Cross – the legend of the wood from the Garden of Eden becoming the Cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. This work demonstrates Piero’s advanced knowledge of perspective and colour, his geometric orderliness and skill in pictorial construction.
<i>The History of the True Cross</i> or <i>The Legend of the True Cross</i> is a sequence of frescoes painted by Piero della Francesca in the Basilica of San Francesco in Arezzo. It is his largest work, and generally considered one of his finest, and an early Renaissance masterpiece.<br/><br/> Its theme, derived from the popular 13th century book on the lives of saints by Jacopo da Voragine, the <i>Golden Legend</i>, is the triumph of the True Cross – the legend of the wood from the Garden of Eden becoming the Cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. This work demonstrates Piero’s advanced knowledge of perspective and colour, his geometric orderliness and skill in pictorial construction.
<i>The History of the True Cross</i> or <i>The Legend of the True Cross</i> is a sequence of frescoes painted by Piero della Francesca in the Basilica of San Francesco in Arezzo. It is his largest work, and generally considered one of his finest, and an early Renaissance masterpiece.<br/><br/> Its theme, derived from the popular 13th century book on the lives of saints by Jacopo da Voragine, the <i>Golden Legend</i>, is the triumph of the True Cross – the legend of the wood from the Garden of Eden becoming the Cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. This work demonstrates Piero’s advanced knowledge of perspective and colour, his geometric orderliness and skill in pictorial construction.
<i>The History of the True Cross</i> or <i>The Legend of the True Cross</i> is a sequence of frescoes painted by Piero della Francesca in the Basilica of San Francesco in Arezzo. It is his largest work, and generally considered one of his finest, and an early Renaissance masterpiece.<br/><br/> Its theme, derived from the popular 13th century book on the lives of saints by Jacopo da Voragine, the <i>Golden Legend</i>, is the triumph of the True Cross – the legend of the wood from the Garden of Eden becoming the Cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. This work demonstrates Piero’s advanced knowledge of perspective and colour, his geometric orderliness and skill in pictorial construction.
<i>The History of the True Cross</i> or <i>The Legend of the True Cross</i> is a sequence of frescoes painted by Piero della Francesca in the Basilica of San Francesco in Arezzo. It is his largest work, and generally considered one of his finest, and an early Renaissance masterpiece.<br/><br/> Its theme, derived from the popular 13th century book on the lives of saints by Jacopo da Voragine, the <i>Golden Legend</i>, is the triumph of the True Cross – the legend of the wood from the Garden of Eden becoming the Cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. This work demonstrates Piero’s advanced knowledge of perspective and colour, his geometric orderliness and skill in pictorial construction.
<i>The History of the True Cross</i> or <i>The Legend of the True Cross</i> is a sequence of frescoes painted by Piero della Francesca in the Basilica of San Francesco in Arezzo. It is his largest work, and generally considered one of his finest, and an early Renaissance masterpiece.<br/><br/> Its theme, derived from the popular 13th century book on the lives of saints by Jacopo da Voragine, the <i>Golden Legend</i>, is the triumph of the True Cross – the legend of the wood from the Garden of Eden becoming the Cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. This work demonstrates Piero’s advanced knowledge of perspective and colour, his geometric orderliness and skill in pictorial construction.
The bronze 'Chimera of Arezzo' is one of the best known examples of the art of the Etruscans.<br/><br/> In Greek mythology the monstrous Chimera ravaged its homeland, Lycia, until it was slain by Bellerophon. The goat head of the Chimera has a wound inflicted by this Greek hero. Based on the cowering, representation of fear, and the wound inflicted, this sculpture may have been part of a set that would have included a bronze sculpture of Bellerophon.
The first cathedral of Arezzo was built on the nearby Pionta Hill, over the burial place of Donatus of Arezzo, martyred in 363. In 1203 Pope Innocent III had the cathedral moved within the city's walls, to the current site.<br/><br/> The construction of the current structure, started in 1278, went through different phases, and ended in 1511. The façade was built in 1901-1914, replacing the previous, unfinished one, dating to the 15th century.
The first cathedral of Arezzo was built on the nearby Pionta Hill, over the burial place of Donatus of Arezzo, martyred in 363. In 1203 Pope Innocent III had the cathedral moved within the city's walls, to the current site.<br/><br/> The construction of the current structure, started in 1278, went through different phases, and ended in 1511. The façade was built in 1901-1914, replacing the previous, unfinished one, dating to the 15th century.
Pope Gregory X (c. 1210 – 10 January 1276), born Teobaldo Visconti, was Pope from 1 September 1271 to his death in 1276 and was a member of the Secular Franciscan Order. He was elected at the conclusion of a papal election that ran from 1268 to 1271, the longest papal election in the history of the Catholic Church.<br/><br/> The first cathedral of Arezzo was built on the nearby Pionta Hill, over the burial place of Donatus of Arezzo, martyred in 363. In 1203 Pope Innocent III had the cathedral moved within the city's walls, to the current site.<br/><br/> The construction of the current structure, started in 1278, went through different phases, and ended in 1511. The façade was built in 1901-1914, replacing the previous, unfinished one, dating to the 15th century.
Ferdinando I de' Medici (30 July 1549 – 17 February 1609) was Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1587 to 1609, having succeeded his older brother Francesco I.
Saint Minias (3rd century CE) is venerated as the first Christian martyr of Florence. The church of San Miniato al Monte is dedicated to him. According to legend, he was an Armenian king or prince serving in the Roman Army – or making a penitential pilgrimage to Rome – who had decided to become a hermit near Florence.<br/><br/> He was denounced as a Christian and in 250 CE brought before Emperor Decius, who was persecuting Christians. Miniato refused to sacrifice to the Roman gods, and was put through numerous torments – he was thrown into a furnace, was lapidated, and was thrown to a lion or a panther at an amphitheater – from which he emerged unharmed. Finally, he was beheaded near the present Piazza della Signoria, but his legend states that he picked up his own head. Miniato then crossed the Arno and returned to his hermitage on the hill known as Mons Fiorentinus (Monte di Firenze).<br/><br/> A shrine was later erected at this spot and there was a chapel there by the 8th century. Construction of the present church was begun in 1013 by Bishop Alibrando and it was endowed by the Emperor Henry II. The adjoining monastery began as a Benedictine community, then passed to the Cluniacs and then in 1373 to the Olivetans, who still run it.
Saint Minias (3rd century CE) is venerated as the first Christian martyr of Florence. The church of San Miniato al Monte is dedicated to him. According to legend, he was an Armenian king or prince serving in the Roman Army – or making a penitential pilgrimage to Rome – who had decided to become a hermit near Florence.<br/><br/> He was denounced as a Christian and in 250 CE brought before Emperor Decius, who was persecuting Christians. Miniato refused to sacrifice to the Roman gods, and was put through numerous torments – he was thrown into a furnace, was lapidated, and was thrown to a lion or a panther at an amphitheater – from which he emerged unharmed. Finally, he was beheaded near the present Piazza della Signoria, but his legend states that he picked up his own head. Miniato then crossed the Arno and returned to his hermitage on the hill known as Mons Fiorentinus (Monte di Firenze).<br/><br/> A shrine was later erected at this spot and there was a chapel there by the 8th century. Construction of the present church was begun in 1013 by Bishop Alibrando and it was endowed by the Emperor Henry II. The adjoining monastery began as a Benedictine community, then passed to the Cluniacs and then in 1373 to the Olivetans, who still run it.
Saint Minias (3rd century CE) is venerated as the first Christian martyr of Florence. The church of San Miniato al Monte is dedicated to him. According to legend, he was an Armenian king or prince serving in the Roman Army – or making a penitential pilgrimage to Rome – who had decided to become a hermit near Florence.<br/><br/> He was denounced as a Christian and in 250 CE brought before Emperor Decius, who was persecuting Christians. Miniato refused to sacrifice to the Roman gods, and was put through numerous torments – he was thrown into a furnace, was lapidated, and was thrown to a lion or a panther at an amphitheater – from which he emerged unharmed. Finally, he was beheaded near the present Piazza della Signoria, but his legend states that he picked up his own head. Miniato then crossed the Arno and returned to his hermitage on the hill known as Mons Fiorentinus (Monte di Firenze).<br/><br/> A shrine was later erected at this spot and there was a chapel there by the 8th century. Construction of the present church was begun in 1013 by Bishop Alibrando and it was endowed by the Emperor Henry II. The adjoining monastery began as a Benedictine community, then passed to the Cluniacs and then in 1373 to the Olivetans, who still run it.
Saint Minias (3rd century CE) is venerated as the first Christian martyr of Florence. The church of San Miniato al Monte is dedicated to him. According to legend, he was an Armenian king or prince serving in the Roman Army – or making a penitential pilgrimage to Rome – who had decided to become a hermit near Florence.<br/><br/> He was denounced as a Christian and in 250 CE brought before Emperor Decius, who was persecuting Christians. Miniato refused to sacrifice to the Roman gods, and was put through numerous torments – he was thrown into a furnace, was lapidated, and was thrown to a lion or a panther at an amphitheater – from which he emerged unharmed. Finally, he was beheaded near the present Piazza della Signoria, but his legend states that he picked up his own head. Miniato then crossed the Arno and returned to his hermitage on the hill known as Mons Fiorentinus (Monte di Firenze).<br/><br/> A shrine was later erected at this spot and there was a chapel there by the 8th century. Construction of the present church was begun in 1013 by Bishop Alibrando and it was endowed by the Emperor Henry II. The adjoining monastery began as a Benedictine community, then passed to the Cluniacs and then in 1373 to the Olivetans, who still run it.
Saint Minias (3rd century CE) is venerated as the first Christian martyr of Florence. The church of San Miniato al Monte is dedicated to him. According to legend, he was an Armenian king or prince serving in the Roman Army – or making a penitential pilgrimage to Rome – who had decided to become a hermit near Florence.<br/><br/> He was denounced as a Christian and in 250 CE brought before Emperor Decius, who was persecuting Christians. Miniato refused to sacrifice to the Roman gods, and was put through numerous torments – he was thrown into a furnace, was lapidated, and was thrown to a lion or a panther at an amphitheater – from which he emerged unharmed. Finally, he was beheaded near the present Piazza della Signoria, but his legend states that he picked up his own head. Miniato then crossed the Arno and returned to his hermitage on the hill known as Mons Fiorentinus (Monte di Firenze).<br/><br/> A shrine was later erected at this spot and there was a chapel there by the 8th century. Construction of the present church was begun in 1013 by Bishop Alibrando and it was endowed by the Emperor Henry II. The adjoining monastery began as a Benedictine community, then passed to the Cluniacs and then in 1373 to the Olivetans, who still run it.
Saint Minias (3rd century CE) is venerated as the first Christian martyr of Florence. The church of San Miniato al Monte is dedicated to him. According to legend, he was an Armenian king or prince serving in the Roman Army – or making a penitential pilgrimage to Rome – who had decided to become a hermit near Florence.<br/><br/> He was denounced as a Christian and in 250 CE brought before Emperor Decius, who was persecuting Christians. Miniato refused to sacrifice to the Roman gods, and was put through numerous torments – he was thrown into a furnace, was lapidated, and was thrown to a lion or a panther at an amphitheater – from which he emerged unharmed. Finally, he was beheaded near the present Piazza della Signoria, but his legend states that he picked up his own head. Miniato then crossed the Arno and returned to his hermitage on the hill known as Mons Fiorentinus (Monte di Firenze).<br/><br/> A shrine was later erected at this spot and there was a chapel there by the 8th century. Construction of the present church was begun in 1013 by Bishop Alibrando and it was endowed by the Emperor Henry II. The adjoining monastery began as a Benedictine community, then passed to the Cluniacs and then in 1373 to the Olivetans, who still run it.
Saint Minias (3rd century CE) is venerated as the first Christian martyr of Florence. The church of San Miniato al Monte is dedicated to him. According to legend, he was an Armenian king or prince serving in the Roman Army – or making a penitential pilgrimage to Rome – who had decided to become a hermit near Florence.<br/><br/> He was denounced as a Christian and in 250 CE brought before Emperor Decius, who was persecuting Christians. Miniato refused to sacrifice to the Roman gods, and was put through numerous torments – he was thrown into a furnace, was lapidated, and was thrown to a lion or a panther at an amphitheater – from which he emerged unharmed. Finally, he was beheaded near the present Piazza della Signoria, but his legend states that he picked up his own head. Miniato then crossed the Arno and returned to his hermitage on the hill known as Mons Fiorentinus (Monte di Firenze).<br/><br/> A shrine was later erected at this spot and there was a chapel there by the 8th century. Construction of the present church was begun in 1013 by Bishop Alibrando and it was endowed by the Emperor Henry II. The adjoining monastery began as a Benedictine community, then passed to the Cluniacs and then in 1373 to the Olivetans, who still run it.
Firenze or Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany. It was a centre of medieval European trade and finance and one of the wealthiest cities of that era. It is considered the birthplace of the Renaissance, and has been called 'the Athens of the Middle Ages'.<br/><br/> A turbulent political history includes periods of rule by the powerful Medici family and numerous religious and republican revolutions. From 1865 to 1871 the city was the capital of the recently established Kingdom of Italy.<br/><br/> The Florentine dialect forms the base of Standard Italian and it became the language of culture throughout Italy due to the prestige of the masterpieces by Dante Alighieri, Petrarch, Giovanni Boccaccio, Niccolò Machiavelli and Francesco Guicciardini.
Saint Minias (3rd century CE) is venerated as the first Christian martyr of Florence. The church of San Miniato al Monte is dedicated to him. According to legend, he was an Armenian king or prince serving in the Roman Army – or making a penitential pilgrimage to Rome – who had decided to become a hermit near Florence.<br/><br/> He was denounced as a Christian and in 250 CE brought before Emperor Decius, who was persecuting Christians. Miniato refused to sacrifice to the Roman gods, and was put through numerous torments – he was thrown into a furnace, was lapidated, and was thrown to a lion or a panther at an amphitheater – from which he emerged unharmed. Finally, he was beheaded near the present Piazza della Signoria, but his legend states that he picked up his own head. Miniato then crossed the Arno and returned to his hermitage on the hill known as Mons Fiorentinus (Monte di Firenze).<br/><br/> A shrine was later erected at this spot and there was a chapel there by the 8th century. Construction of the present church was begun in 1013 by Bishop Alibrando and it was endowed by the Emperor Henry II. The adjoining monastery began as a Benedictine community, then passed to the Cluniacs and then in 1373 to the Olivetans, who still run it.
Firenze or Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany. It was a centre of medieval European trade and finance and one of the wealthiest cities of that era. It is considered the birthplace of the Renaissance, and has been called 'the Athens of the Middle Ages'.<br/><br/> A turbulent political history includes periods of rule by the powerful Medici family and numerous religious and republican revolutions. From 1865 to 1871 the city was the capital of the recently established Kingdom of Italy.<br/><br/> The Florentine dialect forms the base of Standard Italian and it became the language of culture throughout Italy due to the prestige of the masterpieces by Dante Alighieri, Petrarch, Giovanni Boccaccio, Niccolò Machiavelli and Francesco Guicciardini.
The bronze 'Chimera of Arezzo' is one of the best known examples of the art of the Etruscans.<br/><br/> In Greek mythology the monstrous Chimera ravaged its homeland, Lycia, until it was slain by Bellerophon. The goat head of the Chimera has a wound inflicted by this Greek hero. Based on the cowering, representation of fear, and the wound inflicted, this sculpture may have been part of a set that would have included a bronze sculpture of Bellerophon.
Matilda of Tuscany (Italian: Matilde, Latin: Matilda, Mathilda) (1046 – 24 July 1115) was an Italian noblewoman, the principal Italian supporter of Pope Gregory VII during the Investiture Controversy.<br/><br/> She is one of the few medieval women to be remembered for her military accomplishments. She is sometimes called la Gran Contessa (the Great Countess) or Matilda of Canossa after her ancestral castle of Canossa.
The Monterozzi Necropolis, dating from c.530 BC, contains some iof the finest examples of Etruscan wall paintings to survive. In particular the murals in the Tomb of the Bulls (Tomba dei Tori) are associated with a homosexual theme. The male lyre-player in this fresco has a substantial and barely concealed erection.
The Monterozzi Necropolis, dating from c.530 BCE, contains some iof the finest examples of Etruscan wall paintings to survive. In particular the murals in the Tomb of the Bulls (Tomba dei Tori) are associated with a homosexual theme.