La Gerusalemme di San Vivaldo

About the museum

The Sacro Monte di San Vivaldo stands in the Camporena forest, in the territory of Montaione. In 1487 the community of Montaione entrusted the woodland to the Franciscan friars, who built a small church there and, over the following decades, a group of chapels inspired by places in Jerusalem. The idea was to allow pilgrims who could not reach the Holy Land to have a similar experience in Tuscany. The complex was built between 1500 and 1515 as a topographical reproduction of Jerusalem.

Of the thirty-four chapels originally planned, seventeen remain, and thirteen date back to the original design. Each preserves life-size sculptural groups in polychrome terracotta, attributed to the workshops of Giovanni Della Robbia, Benedetto Buglioni and Agnolo di Polo. The route includes, among others, Mount Zion with the Last Supper and Pentecost, the houses of Annas and Caiaphas, the Via al Calvario, the Crucifixion and the Holy Sepulchre, and ends with the chapel of the Noli me tangere. Since 1908 the chapel of San Vivaldo has housed the saint’s relics.

Since 1993 the Museo del Sacro Monte has been housed in the former hayloft of the convent and presents the history and images of the complex. The Sacro Monte was declared a national monument in 1984 and is managed together with the Municipality of Montaione.

Highlights

• Seventeen chapels arranged according to the topography of Jerusalem
• Polychrome terracotta groups attributed to the circle of Giovanni Della Robbia
• Mount Zion with the Last Supper, Via al Calvario and Holy Sepulchre
• Museum of the Sacred Mount in the former convent hayloft
• Franciscan complex set in the woods, a national monument since 1984

Founded

1993

Operated by

Comune di Montaione / Frati Minori

Visitors per year

approx. 5,218

Admission & discounts

The price shown is for admission with a full one-hour guided visit. Admission is also free for schools in Montaione, visiting delegations and holders of the EDUMUSEI card.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The Piccoli Grandi Musei portal lists the complex as accessible to people with disabilities; details should be requested from the Municipality.

Kids & families

Getting there & parking

From Florence, follow the FI-PI-LI road to the Ginestra Fiorentina exit, then follow the signs for Castelfiorentino and Montaione (about 9 km).

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Bookshop.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit