found San Miniato al Monte on the top of the hill, 13th century gold icons on the otherwise duomo-like marble facade. interior astonishing, first wood-beamed basilica i'd seen, elaborately carved and paintings, many mosaics and astonishing woodworks in the sacristry. it was rather a split-level home of a church, with the main chapel in the middle, the crypt half-below behind, the brotherhood's chapel half-above... the crypt was a lovely dark space with an even field of stolen columns supporting little brick domes... very plain in the back with decorations increasing to the altar where subdued light was trickling in from outside.
outside was a dense graveyard - fascinating different monuments, pushed all up against each other, wall plaques with little lanterns, some tiny houses, a good summary of architecture in florence in miniature, fortunately we even found some more contemporary monuments in the back corner. fun to wander, this lion was guarding a tomb. i have a lion statue series of pictures going, necessitating picture....
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