The church now known as San Salvatore al Monte is situated below the basilica of San Miniato on the so called monte delle Croci, just behind today's piazzale Michelangelo. The current church is the third church to stand on the site. The first was a small oratory dedicated to Saints Cosmas and Damian, which was given by Luca di Jacopo della Tosa to a group of Franciscans from Fiesole in 1417. A convent was ready for the community quickly with residents documented in 1419, but they outgrew it by mid-century. Castello Quaratesi wanted to rebuild the entire complex and negotiations began in 1449. His testament of April 25, 1465 left the Calimala Guild in charge of seeing the new church completed, but it was not until around 1490 that works began. Scholars hypothesize that it was a simple hall church with altars against the walls. Structural problems necessitated a renovation in 1499 under the guidance of a group of experts that included Giuliano da Sangallo, Leonardo da Vinci, and il Cronaca, who provided designs for the church as it appears today. The building incorporated spaces already present and added a unifying arcade that frames side chapels, each adorned in their vaults with coats of arms of donor families and containing tombs. Tombs also fill the floor of the sanctuary. Stefano Rosselli referred to the church as San Francesco al Monte, which is the name used here.
| Affiliations (1 total) |
|
|---|---|
| Database ID | 37 |
1417 |
foundation |
after 1417 through 1442 |
construction |
1490s to 1504 |
renovation |
April 21st, 1504 |
|
1810 |
| della Tosa | 1417 a
|
|
| francescani di S. Francesco al Monte | circa 1417 (date is approximate) to 1665 b
|
|
| Quaratesi | 1449 to 1465 c
|
|
| Arte dei Calimala | 1465 to 1504 d
|
| Catalogo generale dei Beni Culturali | rec. 0900281817-0 |
| ASF, Manoscritti, 628, Sepoltuari da Francesco della Foresta | pp. 863-882 |
| ASF, Manoscritti, 624, Rosselli, Sepoltuario Fiorentino, 1657 (copy) | pp. 235-246 |
