San Pietro extra moenia, Spoleto

San Pietro extra moenia is an ancient Roman Catholic church in Spoleto, Umbria, Italy. Remarkable examples of Romanesque sculpture adorn its façade. The term extra moenia refers to its location outside the city walls.

San Pietro church, façade

The site was originally a necropolis, but a church dedicated to Saint Peter was founded here in the 5th century to house the chains that were believed to have once bound the saint.^[1] The present structure was constructed between the 12th and 13th centuries. Its richly decorated façade features ornamental figures, animals, and sculpted reliefs. Some scenes depict events from the life of Saint Peter, while others illustrate moral tales,^[2] such as a deer battling a snake.

• 
  The main portal and the bas-reliefs. Photo by Paolo Monti, 1967
• 
  San Pietro extra moenia