Church of San Francesco

The octagonal bell-tower was built in the 15th c. The interior of the building, which has three naves, was transformed in the 18thc. when the church took on its vaulted aspect. Among the art works kept inside the church, the frescoes of the apses are of particular interest. In the left-hand apse we find “Le storie mariane” (“Stories of Mary”) by Ottaviano Nelli (around 1410-15). In the central apse we can see “Cristo benedicente e quattro Santi” (“Christ blessing and four Saints”), by an anonymous Umbrian of the end of the 13th c., to whom are also attributed the two scenes (“La rinuncia di S. Francesco agli averi” (“St. Francis renounces riches”) and “Sogno del Laterano cadente” (“Dream of the falling Lateran”) depicted in the frescoes of the right-hand apse.

In the Sforzolini chapel (lower part of the same apse) there remain frescoes depicting six Saints, Christ blessing, and the Evangelists, work of the “Expressionist Master of Santa Chiara”, an anonymous Umbrian of the early 14th c. Next to the chapel we can see the remains of a very old house, traditionally identified as the home of the Spadalonga family, that gave St. Francis hospitality as well as his habit of poverty. Between the side altarpieces is an outstanding “Immaculate Conception” by Antonio Gherardi of Rieti (1st altar on the right). In the convent adjacent to the church it is worth looking at the cloisters, the refectory and the chapter room, which offer interesting remnants of frescoes. The convent is also home to a rich art collection of works related to the story of St. Francis.