San Martino a Mensola Church

In the immediate vicinity of Florence, on the summit of a small hill on the slopes of Fiesole and Settignano, is this small, large church, an authentic jewel set in the typical Tuscan landscape. Beyond the seventeenth-century portico, one is struck by the sober harmony of the Renaissance interior (probably the work of Michelozzo, c. 1450), which has remained substantially unaltered.

The side naves, punctuated by pietra serena columns, contain several stylistically uniform altars, decorated with valuable works of art from the 14th and 15th centuries: Taddeo Gaddi (a pupil of Giotto), Maestro di San Martino a Mensola, Neri di Bicci, Zanobi Machiavelli (a follower of Beato Angelico); below the high altar is a precious wooden chest, containing the remains of St. Andrew of Scotland, decorated by Agnolo Gaddi and workshop (1389) with episodes from the Saint's life. Among the Renaissance works, the wooden Crucifix by Benedetto da Maiano stands out.

The right aisle leads to the Crypt, with the remains of the former, very ancient religious settlement.