Perched high above Florence on Monte alle Croci, San Miniato is oriented directly toward the setting sun of the Summer Solstice. The Romanesque geometric facade features 5 arches framing 3 portals (the 3:5 Golden Ratio proportion).
Inside the central nave lies a magnificent marble mosaic floor crafted in 1207 AD depicting the 12 signs of the Zodiac surrounding a central Sol Invictus sun disc. On the Summer Solstice, rays of setting sunlight stream through the high windows and strike the sign of Cancer, signaling spiritual resurrection.
The full decipherment and its observational protocol — where to stand, when, and what to watch for — are in the Florence field codex.