This monument stands out on the horizon on the foothills to the
south of the river Arno and with the Baptistery, is a
masterpiece of Florentine Romanesque architecture. The facade,
begun in the XII century, and concluded in the XIII, follows the
Florentine tradition, with geometric patterns created with white
and green marble (the latter from Prato). The lower section has
the classic five arches that alternate with three doors. Above,
on the pediment, there are nine arches surmounted by symbolic
figures dating to the thirteenth century. In 1401 a gilded
copper eagle, symbol of the Guild of Merchants, which had
administered the church since 1288, was added to the pediment.
The interior, which has been restored and altered in several
points, is divided into three aisles by alternating columns and
pilasters, and terminates with a raised presbytery built over
the crypt. The capitals of the columns of the crypt are in part
Roman and in part Romanesque; some are marble and some stone.
The central nave has marble fl