After passing through Porta San Francesco (Saint Francis Gate) you can see the Romanesque Church of San Pietro, a sober building characterized by an elegant architectural style without artifice, which gave its name to the quarter where it stands, once outside the city walls.
It was built in 1029 for a Benedictine community, later passing on to the Cistercians.
The present-day structure dates from the 13th century, the time in which Pope Innocent IV consecrated the monumental complex. The façade was completed in 1268 and is divided vertically into three parts by pilasters that frame the portals and rose windows; a band of hanging arches runs horizontally across the middle.
The central portal is flanked by two statues of lions and the frame of the door and the lunette above are decorated with plant motifs. The façade was originally topped with a tympanum, which was demolished following the earthquake of 1832.
The interior is divided by pillars into a nave and side aisles: the side aisles are covered by barrel vaults, while the nave has a roof made of wooden beams and pointed arches and ends in a circular apse with a raised chancel covered by a dome.
In 1954 the church underwent restoration work, which eliminated all the baroque altars, accentuating the simplicity of the stone structure. What remains are the 14th-century Gothic tombs at the entrance and on the sides of the chancel, the canvas of the Madonna and Child in the Chapel of the Sacrament and the 13th-century fresco depicting Saint Benedict and Saints Cyril and Methodius, which has been repainted several times.
Descending into the crypt you can see the ancient sarcophagus that contained the relics of Saint Victorinus and the triptych Virgin and Child with Saints Victorinus and Peter, painted by Matteo da Gualdo.
Do you need more information on the accessibility of the monument? We have a dedicated section where you can find all the useful information for people with motor disabilities to visit Abbey of San Pietro
Audio guide: included in the audio guide that can be purchased at the I.A.T. in Piazza del Comune
Audio guide languages: Italian, English, French, German, Spanish
Guided tours: no
Restrooms: no
Infopoint: no
Shops: no
Refreshment points: no
Cloakroom: no
Accessibility: accessible
Summer Hours:
7:30 am to 7:00 pm.
Winter Hours:
7:30 am to 6:00 pm.
Admission: free.
Piazza San Pietro, 1
The Church of San Pietro is located in the historic center of Assisi, just a short distance away from Piazza Giovanni Paolo II.
On foot: the church is easily reached from any part of town.
By bus: just 94 meters from the Line C stop in Piazza Giovanni Paolo II; 65 meters from the Line A-B stop on Viale G. Marconi.
By car: only authorized vehicles can enter the historic center of Assisi.
