San Francesco d'Assisi, Palermo
| Church of Saint Francis of Assisi | |
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| Chiesa di San Francesco d'Assisi (in Italian) | |
Façade of the Church of Saint Francis
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| Basic information | |
| Location | Palermo, Italy |
| Geographic coordinates | 38°06′59.44″N 13°21′59.32″E / 38.1165111°N 13.3664778°ECoordinates: 38°06′59.44″N 13°21′59.32″E / 38.1165111°N 13.3664778°E |
| Affiliation | Roman Catholic |
| Rite | Roman Rite |
| Province | Archdiocese of Palermo |
| Country | Italy |
| Website | Official site |
| Architectural description | |
| Architectural style | Gothic, Sicilian Baroque |
| Groundbreaking | 13th century |
The Church of Saint Francis of Assisi (Italian: Chiesa di San Francesco d'Assisi or simply San Francesco d'Assisi) is an important church of Palermo. It is located near the main street of the city, the ancient Cassaro, in the quarter of the Kalsa, within the historic centre of Palermo. The building represents the main Conventual Franciscan church of Sicily. It has the title of Minor basilica.
The history of the church starts with the arrival of the first Franciscans in Sicily. In 1224 the chronicler Vadingo reported the groundwork of the first Franciscan convent near the Walls of Palermo. However, shortly after, the local clergy with the support of the Saracens chased the friars out from the city. The friars went to Viterbo and appealed to the Pope Gregory IX.
The pontiff ordered Landone, archbishop of Messina, to promote the reconstruction of the convent. In this way the pope took advantage of the absence of Berard of Castagna, archbishop of Palermo gone to Germany with the Emperor Frederick II. Therefore, in 1235 the friars built a new convent by converting an old Byzantine fortification dating back to the military campaign of George Maniakes. In 1239, because of quarrels with the Pope, Frederick II decreed the building's destruction.
In 1255 the Vicar general of Sicily Ruffino Gorgone da Piacenza, chaplain of Pope Alexander IV, entrusted the reconstruction to the bishop of Malta, Roger. The work went on during the period of Charles of Anjou. In 1302 the main portal and the anterior façade were built, both in Chiaramontan-Gothic style. In the 15th century several chapels were built in Gothic and Renaissance style, including the Chapel Mastrantonio, the first manifestation of the Renaissance in Sicily.
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