Church Of The Badia Di San Pietro, Camaiore on:
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The Badia San Pietro (Abbey of St Peter) was a former
Comune of Camaiore
entry on church. Their source listed below.
The Badia San Pietro (Abbey of St Peter) was a former Benedictine
The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...
monastery just northwest of the center of the town of Camaiore
Camaiore is a city and ''comune'' of 32,513 inhabitants within the province of Lucca, Tuscany, central-western Italy. It stretches from the Apuan Alps to the east, to the plains and the coast of Versilia to the west.
History
Camaiore has Roman or ...
in the province of Lucca
The province of Lucca () is a province in the Tuscany region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Lucca.
It has an area of and a population of about 390,000. The province contains 33 ''comuni'' (: ''comune'').
Geography
Situated in northwester ...
, Tuscany
Tuscany ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of 3,660,834 inhabitants as of 2025. The capital city is Florence.
Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, artistic legacy, and its in ...
, Italy. the main remnant of the former monastery is the Romanesque-style, Roman Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
parish church located on Via Badia #15.
History and description
A monastery of this name in Camaiore is first documented in 761. The monastery grew in prominence due to its location along the pilgrimage route of the Via Francigena. In a bull from 1180,Pope Alexander III
Pope Alexander III (c. 1100/1105 – 30 August 1181), born Roland (), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 7 September 1159 until his death in 1181.
A native of Siena, Alexander became pope after a Papal election, ...
granted the monastery special privileges in the region, including jurisdiction ober the churches of San Michele in Camaiore, San Biagio in Lombrici and San Frediano in Pedona. The abbott was given the privilege to wear both a mitre and crosier, identifying his position as that of a bishop. In 1217 the Cistercian order
The Cistercians (), officially the Order of Cistercians (, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint Benedict, as well as the contri ...
of the Florians
The Florians, in Latin Floriacenses, were an altogether independent order during the feudal era, and not, as some consider, a branch of the Cistercians
The Cistercians (), officially the Order of Cistercians (, abbreviated as OCist or S ...
took control of the monastery. Over the next few centuries the fortunes of the monastery would ebb. A fire destroyed most of the frescoes in the church. The monastery fell under control of different orders until in 1527 it was suppressed by Pope Clement VII
Pope Clement VII (; ; born Giulio di Giuliano de' Medici; 26 May 1478 – 25 September 1534) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 November 1523 to his death on 25 September 1534. Deemed "the most unfortunate o ...
, and the property granted to the Ospedale di San Luca in Lucca.
Nearly all the monastic quarters were destroyed, part of the refectory remains, the church of San Pietro and a portal, once the entrance to the monastery with a statue of St Peter above.
Between 1856 and 1859 the architect Giuseppe Pardini restrored the structures, including the church and bell-tower. The latter was nearly entirely rebuilt. Some of the artworks from the Badia can now be seen at either the Museum of Sacred Art or the Archeological Museum in Camaiore.entry on church. Their source listed below.
References
Sources
* Bellato, Franco, Camaiore e dintorni, ed. Comune di Camaiore, Viareggio, 1999 * Storia e archeologia di un monastero: La Badia di San Pietro a Camaiore, edited by Gruppo Archeologico Camaiore, Massarosa, 1997 Churches in Camaiore Romanesque architecture in Tuscany Monasteries in Tuscany Christian monasteries established in the 8th century 12th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Benedictine monasteries in Italy Romanesque church buildings in Italy {{Tuscany-RC-church-stub