San Paolo a Ripa d'Arno

San Paolo a Ripa d'Arno (St. Paul on Arno's bank) is a church in Pisa, Tuscany, Italy. It is one of the most outstanding Romanesque churches in Tuscany. The church is also locally known as "Duomo vecchio" (old cathedral).

The church

The church was founded around 925, but for sure it was known as existing in 1032.The church had an annexed monastery of the Vallumbrosan monks 1092 and an hospital 1147.

The building was modified in the 11th-12th centuries in a style similar to that of the Duomo, being reconsecrated by Pope Eugene II in 1148.

Since 1409 the building complex was given to the administration of the cardinal Landolfo di Marramauro, then since 1552 was given to the Grifoni family and, after 1565 to the Holy Order of St. Stephen. After his suppression, in 1798 the church become a Parish.

In 1853 the building had some severe intervention, by Pietro Bellini, restore its romanesque origins.The interio was further damagef in the Second World War and was restored in the years 1949- 1952. In those works also were destroyed the buildings in the back, freeing to its original state the small Sant'Agata chapel.

The exterior has bichrome marble bands which re-use Roman stones. The façade, designed in the 12th century , but completed in 14th maybe by Giovanni Pisano, has two corps with pilaster strips, blind arches, marble intarsias and three orders of loggias in the upper section.

The interior is on the Latin cross plan with a nave and two aisles divided by columns in Elban granite, an apse and a dome on the crossing with the transept. It houses a 13th century "Crucifix" on panel, frescoes by Buonamico Buffalmacco and a "Madonna with Saints" by Turino Vanni (14th century), but most of all a 2th century Roman sarcophagus used as medieval tomb. The relief on this sarcophagus was used as a model by both Nicola Pisano and his pupil Arnolfo di Cambio

External links

* [http://www.medioevo.org/artemedievale/Pages/Toscana/SanPaoloRipaArnoaPisa.html] Page with details on decorations it icon