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Santo Sepolcro

About

Santo Sepolcro is one of Pisa’s most distinctive medieval churches, instantly recognisable for its rare octagonal plan and slender pyramidal spire. Built in the early 12th century under the architect Diotisalvi, it reflects the city’s deep ties to the Knights Hospitaller, who founded the complex and used it as both a place of worship and a hospitable refuge. The church’s form echoes the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, a symbolic link to the Crusader world that shaped Pisa’s maritime identityaudiala.com. Its façades feature decorated portals attributed to Rainaldo, master of the cathedral’s front, and a 19th‑century bust of Diotisalvi that honours its creator. Inside, the octagonal ambulatory and pointed arches create a serene, luminous space that enhances the building’s spiritual geometry. Today, Santo Sepolcro remains a quiet architectural treasure, offering visitors an evocative encounter with Pisa’s medieval imagination.

Pisa Italy

Location

Chiesa del Santo Sepolcro is located at Piazza Santo Sepolcro in Pisa's historic centre, midway between Via San Martino and the Arno River's southern bank. This striking 12th-century octagonal church, inspired by Jerusalem's Holy Sepulchre, features a pyramidal roof, Romanesque portals with lion heads, and an unfinished bell tower by architect Diotisalvi. Nearby landmarks include Palazzo Pretorio, the birthplace of Galileo Galilei on Via Sant'Apollonia, Piazza Chiara Gambacorti, Church of Saint Peter in Vinculis, Ponte di Mezzo bridge, and lively streets leading to Piazza dei Cavalieri amid cafés and historic palazzi.

Santo Sepolcro

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