Church of San Pier Maggiore in Pistoia

The Church of San Pier Maggiore is one of the oldest in Pistoia, dating back to the 8ᵗʰ century and having been enlarged over the centuries, particularly between the 11ᵗʰ and 12ᵗʰ centuries followed by a further expansion in 1640. In 1091, the building was flanked by a Benedictine monastery, now the site of the P. Petrocchi Arts High School. The present façade, built in the second half of the 13ᵗʰ century, features a lintel carved with images of the Virgin, Christ, the Apostles and Saint Peter.

Also noteworthy are the large altarpieces by Gerino Gerini and Ridolfo del Ghirlandaio, which once belonged to the Church of San Pier Maggior and are today preserved in the Civic Museum of Ancient Art.

Now deconsecrated, the Church is not accessible to visitors but is still remembered for having hosted “the mystical wedding,” the ceremony celebrated on the occasion of a new bishop taking over the city.

Interestingly, the use of columns, arches, reliefs carved into the lintels and, in particular, two-tone façades characterize the Pistoia-Romanesque churches of Sant’Andrea, San Bartolomeo, San Pier Maggiore and San Giovanni Fuorcivitas, representing the most important examples of “Pistoia-Romanesque.”