San Pietro in Campo, Romanesque abbey in Pienza, Italy

San Pietro in Campo, now the church of the Ascensione di Gesù, stands in the locality of the same name near Pienza. Its façade suggests a basilical layout, but the main entrance has been walled up and a side door opened instead. Inside, two of the three supporting arches were filled in to create rooms for other uses. The 12th-century semicircular apse with hanging arches divided by semi-columns, some decorated tiles and the walled-up Porta del Morto survive from the original complex.

First documented in 1031, the abbey belonged to the Benedictines before passing to the Camaldolese in 1147. The complex was heavily remodelled over the centuries: the main entrance was walled up and a lateral one opened, and two of the three supporting arches inside were filled in to create rooms for other uses.

The abbey is now the church of the Ascensione di Gesù in the hamlet of San Pietro in Campo, in the diocese of Montepulciano-Chiusi-Pienza. Its name survives in the place name, and the building is still used as a church. Look for the blocked Porta del Morto on the side wall, a reminder of how the entrance was moved.

Visiting requires appropriate clothing as a sign of respect for the religious site, and checking opening hours beforehand is important since they change by season. The grounds are straightforward to access, but allow time to explore the rooms at a steady pace.

The side doorway known as the porta del Morto, now walled up, is one of the few original elements left after centuries of rebuilding; the other surviving medieval parts are the semicircular apse with its hanging arches and the decorated tiles.