Standing at the top of old Jaffa, directly above the fishing harbour, St Peter's is the most conspicuous Christian building on this stretch of the Mediterranean coast. The church belongs to the Franciscans, custodians of the Latin sanctuaries of the Holy Land, and it was built on ground long occupied by fortification — the remains of a Crusader-era citadel lie beneath and around it, and the mass of the church still reads partly as a defensive block. The interior is Baroque in spirit: a broad nave, gilded altarpiece, painted decoration and windows that face the sea. The dedication is anchored in the Book of Acts, which places the apostle Peter in Jaffa, and pilgrims have come here for centuries as they passed through the port on their way to Jerusalem. Today the church sits at the heart of a restored old town of stone lanes, artists' studios and terraces overlooking the water. Filmed in 4K from the sea, the air and the alleys, the programme brings together sacred architecture, Crusader archaeology and one of the most photogenic ports of the eastern Mediterranean.
