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The Church of San Vivaldo, is located on the site where in an ancient time there was the church of Santa Maria a Camporena and a chestnut tree in which, on 1 May 1320 was found dead Vivaldo Stricchi.
What is now possible to see, is the result of an extension of the original church, carried out between 1326 and 1355 and consecrated 30 November 1416 (or 1410) by Bishop Franciscan Fra Antonio da Prato.
The following video shows the exterior of the church with the “loggia”, typical architectural element of Franciscan churches. Inside – with a single aisle – is enriched with paintings and terracotta statues and holds the relics of St. Vivaldo. At the half of the church is the chapel which corresponds to the ancient church of Santa Maria a Camporena.
In many medieval town in Tuscany there is the Praetorian Palace. A Praetorian Palace is a building that hosts the governor – who usually belonged to a noble family – and who administered the territory. In Montaione, the Praetorian Palace, whose origins date back to 1257, is situated in Via Cresci, 15 in the historic centre.
In the past, has been home of many noble families including that of Michele di Giovanni de ‘Medici and Pietro Leopoldo, as reflected by coats of arms in ceramics affixed to the facade of the Praetorian Palace. The Praetorian Palace has been the seat of the telegraph office and then turned into school.
Today it houses the Civic Museum. The Civic Museum of Montaione exposes many discoveries that date back to the Etruscan and Roman age. In particular, fragments of vases found in the locality of Santo Stefano and Bellafonte and near the Roman cistern. Other exhibits demonstrate the ancient art of glass-making – practiced since the twelfth century – which spread from Montaione across the Valdelsa territory.
If you want to know more closely the ancient origins of the village of Montaione, don’t forget to visit this small but interesting museum.
After the video of the Monastery and Church of San Vivaldo is the time to visit the 16 chapels of the Holy Mount. The chapels were built around XVI century with the intent to reproduce to scale the sacred places of Jerusalem, offering people the opportunity to go without a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, which at that time was very dangerous because under the dominion of the Turks and to avoid excessive waste of money, this is the reason because the Holy Mount of San Vivaldo is also called the Jerusalem of Tuscany. Inside the chapel you can admire splendid terracotta statuary groups that represent the life and passion of Jesus Christ, from the Annunciation to Mary to the rise to heaven.
Even if today we can admire only 18 of the 25 chapels originating, it is worth visiting the Sacro Monte di San Vivaldo because it still remains one of the most fascinating and religious sight of Tuscany. For more information or to know the times of visits, please visit the website www.sanvivaldointoscana.com
The Roman Cistern dating from the second century D.C. is without doubt one of the oldest archaeological sites in the territory of Montaione. Located about 2 km from Montaione, the tank is 27 meters long and 3 wide, divided into three pools was a rectangular tank that collected 400 cubic meters of water from sources of Poggio all’Aglione and it was used for towns in the nearby.
The Holy Mount of San Vivaldo is located between the green hills of Tuscany at 450 meters above sea level few kilometres away from the town of Montaione, in the province of Florence. The origins of San Vivaldo, date back to 1300, when it was chosen by the Blessed Vivaldo, a civilian tertiary Franciscan born in San Gimignano, to spend a life of penance and fasting for “the love of Jesus Christ.” The Holy Mount of San Vivaldo, in addition to the church and the monastery (which you can see in the video), presents a series of chapels arranged in such a way as to replicate the topography and the holy places of Jerusalem of the XIV century.
For this reason San Vivaldo is called the “Jerusalem of Tuscany.” Today is considered one of the most famous places of worship in Italy, and was recognized as national monument. For more information, please visit the official website www.sanvivaldointoscana.com
