nance and to be far away from his kingdom, he went
over seas to gain pardon at Rome, and then betook himself to the said
wood, which was in those days wild and solitary, forasmuch as the city
of Florence did not extend and was not settled beyond Arno, but was
all on this side; save only there was one bridge across the Arno, not
however where the bridges now are. And it is said by many that it was
the ancient bridge of the Fiesolans which led from Girone to
Candegghi, and this was the ancient and direct road and way from Rome
to Fiesole, and to go into Lombardy and across the mountains. The said
Emperor Decius caused the said blessed Miniato to be taken, as his
story narrates. Great gifts and rewards were offered him as to a
king's son, to the end he should deny Christ; and he, constant and
firm in the faith, would have none of his gifts, but endured divers
martyrdoms: in the end the said Decius caused him to be beheaded where
now stands the church of Santa Candida alla Croce al Gorgo; and many
faithful followers of Christ received martyrdom at that place. And
when the head of the blessed Miniato had been cut off, by a miracle of
Christ, with his hands he set it again upon his trunk, and on his feet
passed over Arno, and went up to the hill where now stands his church,
where at that time was a little oratory in the name of the blessed
Peter the Apostle, where many bodies of holy martyrs were buried; and
when S. Miniato was come to that place, he gave up soul to Christ,
and his body was there secretly buried by the Christians; the which
place, by reason of the merits of the blessed S. Miniato, was devoutly
venerated by the Florentines after that they were become Christians,
and a little church was built there in his honour. But the great and
noble church of marble which is there now in our times, we find to
have been built later by the zeal of the venerable Father Alibrando,
bishop and citizen of Florence, in the year of Christ 1013, begun on
the 26th day of the month of April by the commandment and authority of
the catholic and holy Emperor Henry II. of Bavaria, and of his wife
the holy Empress Gunegonda, which was reigning in those times; and
they presented and endowed the said church with many rich possessions
in Florence and in the country, for the good of their souls, and
caused the said church to be repaired and rebuilt of marbles, as it is
now; and they caused the body of the blessed Miniato to be translated
to the