Piazza Bonaparte is a picturesque triangular square flanked by ancient palaces built by noble families from San Miniato between the 16th and the 18th centuries.
In this square we can admire a marble monument dedicated to the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Leopoldo II also called Canapone (1824-1859),who was called “Canapone” for his hair colour. He set up a lot of institutions such as state schools, the railway station and the Court of Justice in San Miniato.
We can also admire Bonaparte Palace, which was the residence of the Bonaparte family. Napoleon Bonaparte, the famous Emperor of France, came to San Miniato during his campaign in Italy in 1796 in order to meet Filippo Bonaparte, who was a priest and the Bonaparte family’s last descendant and stayed in this palace as his guest. Napoleon’s family was of Italian noble origins and they had most of their properties in San Miniato.
Napoleon’s funeral mask is housed in Migliorati Palace in San Miniato.
The Saints Sebastian and Rocco’s Church, which was the Bonaparte family’s chapel and houses Saint Rocco’s relics, is worth a visit. It dates back to the 15th century and was built on the ruins of a more ancient oratory.
This small one-nave church is dedicated to Saint Rocco, who is the patron saint of pilgrims, and it is one of the main stops along the Via Francigena, which was the pilgrimage route from Canterbury to Rome in the Middle Ages and was used not only by simple pilgrims, but also by Kings, Popes and Princes.
Piazza Bonaparte was once used for weekly markets and it was also called “Piazza Dei Polli”(Chickens’ Square) because meat and poultry were sold here.
Nowadays traditional games, exhibitions, and events take place in this square especially in August when Saint Rocco is celebrated .