France & Italy With Trafalgar Tours: Day 5 (Part 3)

December 22, 2011

No matter if you enjoy being on a guided vacation or not, there is no question that most local guides are going to know about certain spots in the city that you are currently visiting that you would have never discovered on your own.  Trafalgar Tours has a reputation for having the best Travel Directors in the world, because each of them have thoughtfully selected the most extraordinary “Hidden Treasures” to share with their group of travelers.  One of the best examples of this is San Miniato al Monte.  Before going into downtown Florence, Marco our Italian Travel Director, took us to this basilica.  It is one of his favorite places, since it attracts very few tourists, yet it deserves to be a major tourist attraction.

It was built in 1013 atop one of the highest points in the city, thus it is impossible to find better unobstructed views of Florence anywhere else.

As with all churches in Italy, the interior was as equally impressive as the exterior.  The way the light streamed in from the windows illuminating the colorfully painted marble was marvelous.

We did not have time to linger, as we had a special date with a famous Italian named David, but we left at the ideal time, as day was beginning to turn into night and the lighting was perfect for some final photos.

Adjoining San Miniato al Monte is both a monastery and a graveyard, both of which I would have further liked to explore.  As the rest of my group headed to the coach, I could not ignore a feeling in my stomach that told me to make a quick visit to the graveyard.  I had only but a minute, however I immediately saw why I felt the urge that I did: there was a stunning statue with a view of Florence in the background that begged to be captured on camera.

I only took one photo and it is now amongst my most favorite photos that I have ever taken in all of my adventures around the globe. . .

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Andi Perullo de Ledesma

I am Andi Perullo de Ledesma, a Chinese Medicine Doctor and Travel Photojournalist in Charlotte, NC. I am also wife to Lucas and mother to Joaquín. Follow us as we explore life and the world one beautiful adventure at a time.

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73 thoughts on “France & Italy With Trafalgar Tours: Day 5 (Part 3)

  1. Pingback: France & Italy With Trafalgar Tours: Day 5 (Part 3) | iWannaGo Travel Network

  2. Roxanne

    I am in love with that photo. There is a little bit of extra satisfaction to having taken one shot and then loving the outcome, isn’t there? I hope your holidays are filled with magic and love, darling. I’m so blessed to have found you this year.

    Reply
    1. Andi Perullo Post author

      Thank you for always leaving the MOST amazing comments!!! Yes I totally agree, it’s almost like I was using a camera with film rather than a digital one. I wish you the same for your Holidays and I also hope that our paths cross soon. You are one amazing and incredibly inspiring woman. Much love!!!

      Reply
  3. Pingback: Statue trafalgar | Jamesandjennif

  4. Fidel

    I’m surprised to find out that this monastery is rarely visited by tourists. Although when I was there, there weren’t as many tourists here. Surprising since it is so close to Piazza Michaelangelo.
    I walked around the gravesite and saw a lot of beauty. Although, I missed the statue that you took your lovely photo of. I remember remarking to my friend how being buried there must have been the most expensive real estate in Florence. For those fortunate to have their final resting place right in front of the monastery, got to be buried overlooking the view of their beloved Florence that we all enjoy seeing.
    Excellent tour recap, Andi.

    Reply
    1. Andi Perullo Post author

      It really is surprising! It’s such an extraordinary place!!! I would LOVE to be buried there one day haha, but yeah don’t think I could afford a spot. Thanks for your kind words — and I loved the post you wrote about it.

      Reply
  5. Pingback: San Miniato al Monte | Follow Your Hart

  6. Alex

    Definitely worthy of being your favorite photo! Now, you probably already know this, but just in case not: those spots appearing in your photos (most visible on light backgrounds like the skies) are from spots on your camera sensor. Easy to fix by dropping your camera body at your local camera shop for sensor cleaning!

    Reply
  7. Craig Zabransky

    I had it on my to-do list to return to this post and once again see that photo… first time was on twitter and I wanted to look at it full screen. Simply magnificent. It was well worth the return. #Stumbled.
    stay adventurous, Craig

    Reply
  8. Pingback: 7 Super Shots From Andi's Travels | My Beautiful Adventures

  9. Ceri

    That is really a stunning picture but … I’m going to be a geek now and say that it reminds me of those horrible moving statues in Doctor Who that move closer to you when you’re not looking at them. Scary stuff” …. Yup. Geek!

    Reply
  10. Pingback: 7 Super Shots From Andi’s Travels I thoroughly enjoyed writing my ABC’s of Travel, as it allowed me | Find the Glass Penny

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