San Vivaldo

One of the most evocative views of the Valdelsa is that of the Sacred Mount of San Vivaldo, a complex of chapels and loci built in the early 16th century as a topographical replica of the places linked to the life and Passion of Jesus. It became, like other sacred mounts in Italy and in Europe, a place of substitute pilgrimages to the Holy Land, and has maintained its spiritual character for centuries, still exerting a strong appeal. Its origins date back to the 13th century, when in the forest of Camporena, a large forested area disputed between the municipalities of San Miniato and Castelfiorentino, there was already a place of devotion, the church of Sancta Maria de Romitorio. The fame of this holy place was enhanced by the figure of the hermit Vivaldo, who, according to tradition, died in the early 14th century, inside the hollow trunk of one of the chestnut trees of the Camporena forest. In 1500, the forest and hermitage, by this point also dedicated to San Vivaldo, were donated to the Franciscan Order. The church became the first of the complex built between 1500 and 1515, which includes the monastery and chapels, arranged in such a way as to reproduce on a reduced scale the plan of Jerusalem as it was at that time. All those who were unable to undertake the actual journey to the Holy Land could benefit from an indulgence by visiting San Vivaldo. Today, as then, in this sanctuary surrounded by nature, we can admire the classical-style chapels with their extraordinary terra-cottas after the school of Della Robbia.