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  Postcard Set of 2018 Church of San Miniato al Monte (cover) and Saint Minias (postal Indicia) October 25 marks the memorial for Saint Minias (or San Miniato in Italian). Today’s saint and the Florentine church bearing his name were featured in the 2018 set of Vatican City postal cards. A fresco of St. Minias is depicted on the postal indicia, and the cover for the set provides a view of the Basilica of San Miniato al Monte, situated on the hills overlooking Florence. Saint Minias is historically shrouded in mystery and legend. He is identified as an Armenian king or prince who either served in the Roman Army or came to Italy on pilgrimage. He eventually became a hermit, living in a cave on Monte alle Croci outside Florence. The story of his martyrdom is intriguing. In 250 AD he was brought before Emperor Decius, famed for his persecution of Christians. Minias refused to sacrifice to the Roman gods and was tortured by being thrown into a furnace, stoned, and thrown to a lion or a panther. He emerged from these attacks unharmed. Finally, he was beheaded near the present Piazza della Signoria in Florence, and legend states that he picked up his head, crossed the Arno River and returned to his hermitage on the hill known as Mons Florentinus (Monte di Firenze), where he died. He is thus remembered as Florence’s first Christian martyr and saint. The centuries-old Basilica of San Miniano al Monte is located on the Monte di Firenze, and San Miniato’s relics are buried in a crypt there. A shrine was originally erected at the site to honor the saint, and a church was erected there in the 8th century. The original church fell into disrepair and was restored in the 11th century. The millennium of this restoration is the inspiration for the 2018 Vatican City post card set. The picturesque Romanesque church has an adjoining belltower and bishop’s palace, and is located on one of the highest points in Florence, with its terrace providing sweeping views of the city. Here is a present-day view of the church:  Basilica of San Miniato al Monte, Florence Photo by Benjamín Núñez González From Wikimedia Commons, used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license The four postal cards in the set contain scenes from the life of San Miniato and his martyrdom. They are taken from the frescoes of the Basilica’s altarpiece, the work of Jacobo del Casentino created in the 14th century.     Postcard Set of 2018 Postcards with artwork depicting life of Saint Minias by Jacopo del Casentino REFERNENCES: |
