Saints John and Ermolao, or Pieve di Santi Giovanni ed Ermolao is a 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 in La Pieve,

Calci Calci is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Pisa in the Italian region Tuscany, located about west of Florence and about east of Pisa Pisa ( ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Tuscany, Central Italy, straddling the ...

, some 10 km outside

Pisa Pisa ( ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Tuscany, Central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for the Leaning Tow ...

, region of

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 Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

History

A church at the site was present in the 11th-century, but expanded after the relics of the martyred saint Ermolao was transferred into this church in 1111. It was restored and expanded in 1617 using designs by

Cosimo Pugliani Cosimo is the Italian form of the Greek name ''Kosmas'' (latinised as ''Cosmas''). Cosimo may refer to: Characters * Cosimo Piovasco di Rondò, hero of Italo Calvino's 1957 novel ''The Baron in the Trees'' Given name Medici family * Cosimo ...

. Within that time, the apse was also expanded and the transept was completed. Throughout the centuries since, the structure has undergone other changes including: an expansion of the left side of the façade, the opening of an entry on the right side, and the construction of the side altars and the arch over the

font In metal typesetting, a font is a particular size, weight and style of a ''typeface'', defined as the set of fonts that share an overall design. For instance, the typeface Bauer Bodoni (shown in the figure) includes fonts " Roman" (or "regul ...

. The font was sculpted with classical images by followers of

Biduino Biduino or Biduinus (active c. 1173 – 1194) was an Italian sculptor and architect from the Romanesque period, active around Pisa and Lucca Città di Lucca ( ; ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the Serchio River, in a ...

.Guida d'Italia. It includes the depiction of the river Jordan in human form, and the inclusion of angel statues. Similar classical forms characterize the interior of the basilica, which is divided into three naves by columns surmounted by neo-corinthian capitals. The facade is divided into a double row of blind arches. Among the works are: two paintings by

Aurelio Lomi Aurelio Lomi (29 February 1556 – 1622) was an Italian painter of the late-Renaissance and early-Baroque periods, active mainly in his native town of Pisa, Tuscany (at the time in the Republic of Florence). Biography The brother of the painters ...

, a ''Madonna and Child'' by

Cecco di Pietro Cecco di Pietro was an Italian painter of the Pisan School. While his date of birth cannot be confirmed, there is some mention of a Cecco Pierri working with the painter Paolo di Lazzarino in 1350. If this was a reference to di Pietro, then his ...

, and what remains of a 12th-century painted wooden cross.

The Bell tower

The imposing square tower is located next to the left transept of the church. A short distance from the walls of the church, on the south side, is a majestic gateway arch. Some local historians speculate that the mighty quadrangular base of the tower is the ruin of an ancient defensive tower whose large foundations were hidden below the current street level. The presence of two windows on the north and east sides that are tall and narrow with wide internal splay, features typically loopholes included for archers, are partial evidence for the tower's defensive role, along with the structure's 9 meter width. Other authors in the past, however, have disregarded this as evidence, maintaining it is instead the result of folk legend.

Bibliography

* Giovanni Benvenuti, ''La Rocca della Verruca e il sistema difensivo del Monte Pisano''. Agnano Pisano, Stamperia Editoriale Pisana, 2004.

References

External links

Tourism of Calci
{{DEFAULTSORT:Parish Church of Saint John And Saint Ermolao Buildings and structures completed in 1116 12th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Romanesque architecture in Pisa Churches in the province of Pisa