The Church of St Peter is the oldest church in Atina. It was built, according to tradition, in 75 A.D. (an improbable date, however) on the remains of the temple of Jupiter in Roman Atina, near the Porta Aurea: traces of the ancient paved road leading from the city's countryside are clearly visible in its vicinity. It remained, until 1000, the main church of Atina. In 1056 it appears in the privilege of Bishop Leo and in 1208 it was visited by Innocent III, who placed it under the protection of the Holy See.
Its current appearance dates back to after 1349, when it was completely rebuilt because it was damaged by a violent earthquake: it has a single rectangular hall and semicircular apse. It preserves conspicuous traces of “opus reticulatum” (a Roman building technique in use since the 1st century B.C., by which the outer face of the wall was made of opus reticulatum), visible in the lower part of the apse, which evidently already belonged to the ancient pagan building.
It is located near the archaeological area of San Marco (old cemetery) .
