Basilica di San Francesco and Gothic Apse

Why is it significant?

Step into the serene, cobblestoned sanctuary of Piazza San Francesco to gaze upon the monumental brick facade of the Basilica di San Francesco.

Key Facts

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Step into the serene, cobblestoned sanctuary of Piazza San Francesco to gaze upon the monumental brick facade of the Basilica di San Francesco. Begun in 1236, just ten years after the death of Saint Francis of Assisi, this majestic Franciscan temple was designed by friar-architects inspired by the grand Gothic cathedrals of northern France, making it the very first church in Italy to incorporate authentic French Gothic architectural elements, most notably the soaring external flying buttresses and radial ambulatory chapels encircling the high choir. Stepping into the cavernous interior reveals an expansive three-aisled nave illuminated by soft light filtering through lancet clerestory windows, soaring toward bicolored ribbed cross-vaults that evoke profound spiritual serenity. Behind the high altar rises the celebrated marble polyptych sculpted between 1388 and 1392 by Venetian brothers Pierpaolo and Jacobello Dalle Masegne, an astonishing tour de force of Gothic figurative carving. The soaring French Gothic proportions and serene cloistered courtyards create an unforgettable sense of architectural harmony, standing as a peerless monument to Franciscan piety and Italian craftsmanship.

Examine the intricate Dalle Masegne marble altarpiece: carved from luminous white Carrara marble, dozens of exquisitely sculpted figures of saints, prophets, and angels surround the central coronation of the Virgin, capturing dynamic movement and delicate facial expressions with virtuosic Gothic mastery. It is one of the supreme achievements of late fourteenth-century Italian sculpture.

During the Napoleonic occupation in 1796, the sacred basilica was brutally deconsecrated and converted into a military barracks and cavalry stable, causing immense damage until passionate nineteenth-century restorer Alfonso Rubbiani meticulously revived its medieval glory.

Listen to the resonant acoustics of the choir: the legendary Padre Giovanni Battista Martini taught counterpoint and music theory in this convent to a fourteen-year-old Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in 1770.

Exit the church and turn northwest onto the vibrant cobblestones of Via del Pratello.