Charterhouse of Pisa - Church of St. Piero a Grado - S. Rossore

Less than 9miles from Pisa, in a little town named Calci, is the Charterhouse of Pisa, which ranks as the second largest in Italy after that of Pavia. Its setting is breathtaking. Although founded in 1336, its present appearance dates from the late 18th century when it was remodelled by Nicola Stassi. The complex includes the monk's cells, a church, and several cloister, among them the magnificient CHIOSRO GRANDE. The church was originally built in the last quarter of the 17th century. It is aisleless and divided into two sections by a colored marble rood screen. The 17th century frescoes depict scenes from the Old Testament.

Located about 3 miles from Pisa, the basilica is well worth a visit. The sight of this masterpiece of Pisan Romanesque rising majestic and solemn in the open countryside is well worth the trip. The church is characterized by the linearity of its design and simplicity of its forms, not to mention its utter lack of a façade. In fact, it has three apses on the east side and one on the west the entrance being a doorway cut into the north side. It was built around the middle of the 11th century over a pre-existing 6th century basilica.
Through the Middle Ages, San Piero was a very popular place of worship, since St. Peter supposedly stopped off here on his way from Antioch to Rome in 44 AD.
The INTERIOR
The spacious and lovely interior has single aisles delineated by a double row of columns with Roman capitals. The decoration is sober and reduced to the bare minimum: the round arches have red and white stripes and the walls of the nave are frescoed with scenes of the Life of St. Peter between a row of Portraits of Popes and the Walls of the Heavenly City. The frescoes were painted in the early 1300s by Deodato Orlandi.