San Paolo
The Church of San Francesco d'Assisi in Brescia: A Historical View
Located between Corso Palestro and the beginning of Via S. Francesco d'Assisi, the Church of San Francesco d'Assisi is a building of exceptional beauty, one of the first examples of Franciscan architecture in Lombardy. The construction of the church, on land donated by the municipality of Brescia to the Franciscan friars, began in 1254 and ended in 1265. The church has undergone several modifications and enlargements over the centuries, but has preserved its medieval architectural forms.
The History of the Church
According to tradition, the motivations that led to the foundation of this building could be traced back to the pacification of the continuous struggles between the Guelphs and Ghibellines of Brescia. The first place of worship did not yet have the large dimensions that instead were reached only in modern times. From 1463, more substantial renovations of the church were commissioned, wanted by father general Francesco Sansone with the supervision of the architect Antonio Zurlengo.
Modern Renovations
In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the church was redesigned according to the neoclassical taste of the time by Rodolfo Vantini. In the twentieth century, several structural interventions brought to light the medieval architectural forms of the church. The facade of the church, in Renaissance style, features a bifora with columns and sculptures, while the ogival portal is in gilded bronze. The interior has three naves divided by pillars, with the central nave covered by a barrel vault with lunettes and the side naves covered by ogival vaults.
The Franciscan Convent
Next to the church is the Franciscan convent dating back to the fourteenth century, which has always been the home of the Minor Conventual Friars and the seat of their Postulate for Northern Italy. The complex of the convent develops around the cloister, which features architecture with two orders of arches, most of which were made in the Ionic order.
Artworks
The Church of San Francesco d'Assisi is a treasure trove of different and numerous works of art. In the left nave, there is the fresco depicting San Francesco by Bonifacio Bembo, which dates back to 1490. In the same nave, there are also chapels of the Immaculate Conception, the Holy Cross, and the Madonna del Carmine. In the right nave, on the other hand, there is the chapel of the Madonna del Popolo, dating back to the sixteenth century. In the choir, there is the high altar, in Baroque style, created in 1706 by the Bergamo sculptor Francesco Aprile.
Conclusions
The Church of San Francesco d'Assisi is a jewel of Franciscan architecture and the city of Brescia. Its millennia-long history, its artworks, and its architecture make it an unmissable destination for tourists and those who want to discover the beauty and history of the city.
