The Bastion of San Giorgio owes its name to its proximity to the gate of the same name and is located in Via di Belvedere: it still retains its original dimensions today, running externally along the Florentine walls that go up the street from Porta San Miniato.
In 1529 Michelangelo Buonarroti, a supporter of the Florentine Republic, became General Governor and Prosecutor of the Fortifications, making a series of modifications to the ancient walls. The bulwark was initially built of rammed earth and was the first to be erected by leaning against the ancient walls, with the aim of placing artillery there to oppose the Spanish troops of Charles V, led by Filiberto d'Orange.
Walking up the Via di Belvedere, the changes are still clearly visible and consist of the large ramparts on which the olive trees now stand and the large buttresses supporting the walls, structures created to mitigate the force of enemy cannon shots by preventing breaches and collapses. The current structure of the bastion was built later after the return of the Medici to Florence at the behest of Cosimo I, along with five other bastions that have been lost over the centuries.
Inside, the archery range in use by the Archers and Crossbowmen of San Giorgio is clearly visible. The 14th-century walls mark the inner part of the bastion, curving first to the right towards the outside and then to the left until they return parallel to the previous ones. Beyond the tower, the arch that allowed passage between the bastion and the inside of the walls, currently the Bardini Garden, is still visible at the back. On the right side of the bastion are visible the artillery posts, a large water cistern and a well also used in emergencies as an escape route.
At the end of the bastion, a view over the splendid church of San Miniato and the green surrounding hills.
Baluardo di San Giorgio
Via di Belvedere, 29, Firenze
