San Giorgio Bastion

The San Giorgio bastion takes its name from the nearby gate of the same name and stands on Via di Belvedere. It still retains its original dimensions, running along the outside of the Florentine walls that climb the road from Porta San Miniato. In 1529 Michelangelo Buonarroti, a supporter of the Florentine Republic, became Governor-General and Commissioner of Fortifications and made a series of changes to the old walls. Initially built of rammed earth, this was the first bastion constructed against the ancient walls, providing positions for artillery to oppose Charles V’s Spanish troops under Philibert of Orange. As you climb Via di Belvedere, the alterations remain clearly visible: large earthworks now planted with olive trees and substantial buttresses supporting the walls. These structures were designed to absorb the force of enemy cannon fire and prevent breaches and collapses. The present bastion was built later, after the Medici returned to Florence, at the behest of Cosimo I, together with five other bastions that have been lost over the centuries. Inside, the shooting range used by the Archers and Crossbowmen of San Giorgio is clearly visible. The 14th-century walls enclose the inner part of the bastion, first curving right outwards and then left until they run parallel to the earlier walls again. Beyond the tower, at the far end, the arch that allowed passage between the bastion and the space inside the walls, now the Bardini Garden, can still be seen. On the right-hand side are artillery positions, a large water cistern and a well also used as an emergency escape route. At the end of the bastion, the view opens towards the beautiful church of San Miniato and the green surrounding hills.