San Piero a Grado

A few kilometers from Pisa, on the way to the sea, there is what is considered to be the oldest piece of Christian architecture in Pisa.

Legend has it that San Piero a Grado was the first Italian port where Saint Peter disembarked on his journey toward Rome. In the early Christian era, the coastline ran along here and so it was one of the main ports of Pisa.

The guided tour includes a visit to the church. Its exterior has typical Islamic and Spanish ceramic decorations dating back to the Middle Ages. The interior has a fascinating cycle of early 14th-century frescoes with portraits of the Popes. There are also archeological ruins that clearly show the pre-existing structures prior to the Romanesque basilica dating back to the Roman era, early Christian era, and the early Middle Ages.