Archive for 'Churches & Religious Buildings'

San Martino a Mensola is a lovely parish church in the Renaissance style, in Fiesole, Tuscany. Although it is small, the art and architecture of the building is surprisingly rich and grand. The first church on the site dated to the Roman era and was a ruin by the 9th century. It was then that the Bishop of Fiesole ordered its restoration. This building, too, barely remains with the current structure dating to the 15th century. Another of the draws to the building is a rather unique relic which remains inside and miraculously intact. This is the body of St Andrew, an Irish saint, which has refused to decay in the centuries since his death. If you have an interest in such macabre things, or pretty churches stuffed full of Renaissance art, find a luxury villa in Fiesole and have a wander around this fascinating building.     Read More

To the west of the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Duomo there is a Baptistery which is dedicated to St. John the Baptist. Construction began in 1152 but was not completed until 1363. Largely Romanesque and Gothic in style it does, however, display Byzantine and Islamic influences as well. Small and perfectly formed and built to allow for exceptional acoustics, it is a symmetrical architectural gem, only a stone's throw from the more famous Leaning Tower. Why not find a villa with pool in the Pisa area and visit the tower and the baptistery, it's lesser-known but equally fascinating and incredibly beautiful cousin?     Read More

Galgano Guidotti was born in 1148 to a minor noble. At the age of 32, he had spent most of his life as a self-centred, violent knight. That year he was visited by the Archangel Michael in a vision and told to renounce his ways.

Guidotti then became a hermit and took up residence in a nearby cave. While on his horse one day, he was mystically led to Montesiepi, a hill near his home town, Chiusdino. There he saw a vision of the Apostles, Christ and Mary and was, once again, told to turn his back on his former ways. At this point of the tale, there are a couple versions of what happened next.     Read More

Catherine of Siena was a Dominican tertiary, philosopher and theologian. Born in the 14th century, she began having visions of Christ at the age of five or six. At seven, she had decided to devote her life to God. She resisted marriage as a young woman until she was eventually allowed to join the Dominican Order. She was known for helping the sick and poor and launching reform campaigns among the faithful. Catherine even went so far as to become involved in political matters like swaying the loyalties of cities back towards the papal armies. Her writings spread her word further and gained more followers but she also became known for extreme devotion, eventually dying due to her refusal to eat.     Read More