San Pietro Church, Spoleto
Upper facade of San Pietro (with sepia effect). Photo by Maria.
Lower facade of San Pietro, full of medieval reliefs. Photo © Bill Thayer.
Arcades of colonnettes. Photo © Bill Thayer.
Peacock pecking at grapes. Photo © Bill Thayer.
A man driving a yoke of oxen, wih a barking dog. Photo © Bill Thayer.
A stag biting a serpent. Photo © Bill Thayer.
A wolf distracted from his reading by a sheep. Photo © Bill Thayer.
The Archangel Michael slays the dragon. Photo © Bill Thayer.
Weathered lions guard the entrance. Photo © Bill Thayer.
Reached by a shady and scenic 2km walk out of central Spoleto, San Pietro Church is famed for its facade sculptures. Based on biblical stories and medieval legends alike, they are among the best Romanesque carvings in Umbria.
History
San Pietro was the cathedral of Spoleto until 1067; it was restored after its destruction in 1329. The famous reliefs of the facade probably date from the 12th century.
What to See
The façade is divided into three horizontal bands of reliefs. The topmost band has two panels with two calves standing sideways, possibly symbolizing sacrifice. Above these are two angels swinging censers.
In the middle band is a round window with the symbols of the four Evangelists grouped around it.
The lowest section of the façade has the most beautiful and interesting work, which evidently belongs to two periods: the carving about the door is delicate Byzantine inspired; the rest is much plainer and less carefully executed.
The jambs and lintel of the door have the usual running scroll of foliage, which was formerly symbolical of Paradise, but this time have no birds pecking at the fruit.
On either side of this scroll are two strips of seven panels with arcades of delicately carved colonnettes, the flat spaces between which on one side are filled in with decorative rosettes, while on the other side some are left blank or have conventionalised designs of plants, and two are occupied with an eagle and a rampant lion.
Above the colonnettes on either side is a relief of a peacock, earlier symbolical of immortality, pecking at a bunch of grapes.
At the bottom is a scene of a man driving a yoke of oxen, while a dog jumps barking before them. If the artist had any symbolism in mind here, it may have been to portray the results of the Fall. "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground" (Gen. 3, 19).
Between the second and third panels of colonnettes is a scene that marks the transition to the remainder of the doorway: a stag with a serpent in its mouth. In the Greek and Latin "Physiologus" and the Romance bestiaries the stag is the enemy of the snake or dragon, and, after eating him, runs to a fountain and drinks, thus making himself young and shedding his antlers. This symbolizes the Christian's recourse to the fountain of life and regeneration — that is, Christ.
On either side of these panels are two series of five scenes each. On the right is portrayed the washing of Peter's feet by Christ, and the calling of Peter and Andrew, who are in a boat with Christ beckoning to them from the shore. On the left the two panels show the death of the righteous man and the sinner.
The three lower scenes on each side again make use of the bestiary or fable material, as above in the case of the stag. The first one on the left shows a lion with both feet caught in the cleft of a log with a man standing over the log and holding in his hands an axe. This is likely variant of the "ungrateful animal" group of medieval stories.
The interior of the church is not especially remarkable - the visit to San Pietro is entirely for the magnificent facade.
Quick Facts
| Names: | San Pietro |
| Type of site: | Parish church |
| Faith: | Roman Catholic |
| Status: | Active |
| Dates: | 12th-century reliefs |
| Architecture: | Romanesque |
| Location: | On a hillside in SE Spoleto, Umbria, Italy |
Location Map
Location map and satellite view of San Pietro. Using the buttons on the left, zoom in for a closer look or zoom out to get your bearings. Click and drag the map to move around. For a larger view, see our Spoleto Map or get our free Google Earth download.
Sources
- The Rough Guide to Italy 7 (May 2005), 652-53.
- Symbolic Animals of Perugia and Spoleto - public domain article reprinted by Bill Thayer
