category of places

San Piero a Grado

About

San Piero a Grado is one of Pisa’s most atmospheric sacred sites, standing where tradition says St. Peter first landed in Italy in 44 AD. The basilica rises on the remains of an early Christian temple from the 4th–5th centuries, later expanded between the 10th and 12th centuries into the Romanesque structure visible todayComune di Pisa - Turismo+1. Its unusual layout features a double order of apses, with three facing east and one to the west, a rare architectural solution in Tuscany. The exterior blends tuff stone, white marble, and Islamic‑inspired ceramic basins, reflecting Pisa’s maritime connections. Inside, visitors can see traces of earlier buildings, classical columns reused from Roman structures, and the evocative fresco cycle attributed to Deodato Orlandiaudiala.com. Surrounded by open countryside just outside the city, San Piero a Grado offers a serene encounter with Pisan Romanesque heritage and centuries of layered devotion.

Pisa Italy

Location

San Piero a Grado church is located in the San Piero a Grado frazione, approximately 7 km west of Pisa's city centre along Via Vecchia di Marina near the ancient port site of Gradus Pisarum. This Pisan Romanesque basilica, built over a 4th-5th century early Christian temple where legend says Saint Peter first landed in Italy, features distinctive tuff stone, marble, and ceramic basin decorations amid its unique double apse layout. Nearby, visitors find peaceful coastal paths toward Pisa's marina district, modern residential areas, limited parking spots, and easy drives back to central landmarks like Piazza dei Miracoli, with the Arno River delta landscapes and occasional archaeological sites adding to the serene outskirts ambiance.

San Piero a Grado

User attributes