Chiesa di San Pietro

The Church of San Pietro in Reggio Emilia is a Baroque Benedictine church noted for its dome, seventeenth-century paintings and carved choir galleries.

Why it matters

Designed by Reggio architect Paolo Massoni and built between 1625 and 1629, the church is a significant example of Emilian Baroque. Its connection with the adjoining Benedictine monastery links religious architecture with the development of the Via Emilia and the city.

What to notice

The exterior combines Massoni's dome with a bell tower added in 1765, a neoclassical facade designed by Pietro Armani in 1782 and a raised forecourt from 1816. Inside, a single nave follows a Latin-cross plan. Paintings include Alessandro Tiarini's Santissima Trinità and Martirio di Santa Barbara, Pietro Desani's San Michele Arcangelo, works by Mastelletta and Paolo Emilio Besenzi, and Camillo Gavassetti's Eternal in Glory. Baroque cantorie in marble and wood survive above the entrances.

Context and history

A church stood on the site by the twelfth century. The earlier building was demolished in 1586, and the present church rose over subsequent decades, with the dome completed by 1629. Later additions included Anselmo Govi's painted stucco frames. The parish forms part of the Diocese of Reggio Emilia-Guastalla and is closely linked to the Chiostri di San Pietro beside it.