Chiesa Bizantina di San Pietro

The Church of San Pietro is a precious testimony to Byzantine rule in Terra d'Otranto, a period in which the city became a metropolitan see (in 968) under the direct control of the patriarchal see of Constantinople.

Its dating has long been a matter of debate among scholars, but from an analysis of the structure, frescoes, and Greek inscriptions, it appears to date to the second golden age of Byzantine architecture, which began in the 9th-10th centuries AD. Indeed, the square plan contains an inscribed Greek cross, typical of this phase of Byzantine religious architecture.

Inside, three small naves are surmounted by a central dome supported by four columns. The three apses at the rear contain splendid Byzantine-style frescoes dating from the 10th to the 16th centuries. The oldest paintings are the Washing of the Feet, which depicts Christ with a halo in the act of lifting the leg of St. Peter, and the Last Supper. The Nativity, the Pentecost and the Anastasis (the Resurrection) date back to the 14th century, while the Presentation at the Temple and other figures of saints date back to the last phase of the 16th century.