Tomorrow's plan is bus to Piazzale Michelangelo for fab views then into the church for 5:15/5:30pm Gregorian chant service. Husband whose legs/knees are shot from walking everywhere just saw the street view photo of church showing a zillion steps to actually reach the church door and this seems impossible for him, not counting Google Maps 950 meters from bus stop - I'm assuming this doesn't include hiking the stairs uphill to the church entrance. Does anyone know if there's a shortcut, an escalator, a zip line, magic genie, any means at all of avoiding the stairs? Will a taxi go all the way to the top where the church sits or only as far as street level at bottom of all the stairs? Thanks!
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16369 posts
The road that goes all the way to the church level on the left side of the church (facing the church). I know because I used to take my girlfriends up there at night on my motorbike and smooch in the park next to the Porte Sante cemetery. Then from there you go through an arch to get to the front of the church. If your spouse doesn't mind walking, you can walk too. It's just a bit uphill, but the road is paved.
Posted by
OP
North Carolina
362 posts
Dear Roberto, as always the traveler's information dream come true, thank you so very much! This now seems very manageable with taxi to Via delle Porte Sante as close to the church as the driver can get. I won't ask how your girlfriends enjoyed making out next to a horde of dead people!!!
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16369 posts
It was a great place for that. Very dark and very quiet neighbors.
Until one day we were busted by the Carabinieri patrol car not exactly while wearing a formal attire. They sternly lectured me for 20 minutes about the danger of that behavior. It was during the years of the monster of Florence, and they didn't want couples to make out in dark secluded spots. So we started going in front of the church, where there was more light. In front of the stairs of the church it was like a drive-in. Once in a while the carabinieri would drive by to make sure all the couples were ok.