San Michele in Borgo Church, Pisa

The Stretto Borgo is a long, narrow street with shops under the arcades on each side of it. In the midst of this street you will find the ancient San Michele in Borgo. The church and monastery was built in 1046 outside the city walls. According to documents written by its first abbot, he had been invited to Pisa to take over the Catholic Church of San Michele Arcangelo and turn it into a Benedictine monastery. As the Vatican wouldn’t release the church, he turned to the ruins of a Temple of Mars to build his monastery. From 1046 until the mid 12th century it was the home of the Benedictines. When they left, it was taken over by the monks from the Holy Hermitage of Camaldoli.

The façade was rebuilt in the 14th century, when three Gothic loggias were added to the upper storey and three Gothic portals were built. Above the central portal is the replica of a tabernacle containing a statue of the Madonna and Child by di Francesco. The original can be seen in the San Michele Museum. The interior is rather simple with a single nave and two aisles. The main altar is on a raised platform as under it is the crypt that belonged to the ancient temple. It once housed five antique sarcophagi, but these were later removed to the Camposanto Monumentale. The church has several fine paintings, including “Conception” by Rosselli, “Madonna with Child and the Saints” by Baccio Lomi, “The Virtues” by Aurelio Lomi and “Nativity” by Melani. There are also the remains of some of the original 13th century frescoes.