This piazza offers a world-renowned view across the city of Florence but, before arriving, make a stop at the attractive church on the right, San Salvatore al Monte. Built between the end of the 15th century and the beginning of the 16th, it was designed by Simone del Pollaiolo, known as "il Cronaca".
The decorous but simple lines, the noble architectonic elements and the very congenial location of this church were particularly pleasing to Michelangelo who called it "la bella villanella" - the lovely lass in the country.
Piazzale Michelangelo itself was arranged by the architect Giuseppe Poggi between 1865 and 1870 to be a kind of fulcrum for the avenues Oltrarno, which wind around between Porta Romana and Porta San Niccolò.
The monument to Michelangelo in the center of the piazza is enhanced with bronze reproductions of some of his Florentine masterpieces, the renowned David, and below the statues for the Medici tombs in the New Sacristy of San Lorenzo. From the Piazzale, you can take the monumental flights of steps and go down to the tall, dynamic tower at Porta San Niccolò.
