San Lazzaro, Romanesque church in Certaldo, Italy

San Lazzaro is a Romanesque church in Certaldo with thick stone walls, rounded arches, and sturdy columns that showcase the typical features of medieval religious buildings. The interior is simply arranged and reveals the craftsmanship of its construction period.

San Lazzaro is documented from the 10th century as a church owing dues to the bishop of Florence; a document of 987 from the Abbey of Passignano names it San Leonardo. At the surrender of Semifonte in 1202 its people were counted in the comune of Certaldo, suggesting the pieve belonged to the Counts of Certaldo from the later 12th century before passing to the Florentine bishop. In 1363 it was assigned as dowry to the Gianfigliazzi, lords of the nearby Castello di Santa Maria Novella, and stayed with them until 1954.

This sanctuary served as the heart of community life in Certaldo for centuries, functioning not only as a place of worship but also as a gathering point where people met and discussed local matters.

The pieve stands in the hamlet of Lucardo, in the countryside outside Certaldo, along the southern variant of the Via Volterrana. It is reached by rural roads, not on foot from Certaldo's medieval centre. The perimeter walls have no openings; light enters only through the clerestory windows, so the interior is dimmest in the morning.

The crypt, rediscovered during restoration work in the 1950s, was not reinstated. The same campaign removed all plaster and Baroque additions to bring the church back to its Romanesque appearance, and also uncovered 14th-century frescoes on the pillars.