Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi

Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi
Basilica di San Francesco d'Assisi Basilica Sancti Francisci Assisiensis
The Lower and Upper basilicas and the portico, as seen from the Lower Plaza of Saint Francis.
43°04′29″N 12°36′20″E / 43.07472°N 12.60556°E / 43.07472; 12.60556
Location	Assisi, Italy
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Website	sanfrancescoassisi.org
History
Status	Papal minor basilica
Consecrated	1253
Architecture
Architect(s)	Maestro Jacopo Tedesco[1]
Architectural type	Church
Style	Romanesque, Italian Gothic
Groundbreaking	1227
Specifications
Length	80 metres (260 ft)
Width	50 metres (160 ft)
Nave width	18 metres (59 ft)
Administration
Division	Pontifical Legation for the Basilicas of Saint Francis and Saint Mary of the Angels in Assisi[2]
Diocese	Diocese of Assisi-Nocera Umbra-Gualdo Tadino
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official name	Assisi, the Basilica of San Francesco and Other Franciscan Sites
Type	Cultural
Criteria	i, ii, iii, iv, vi
Designated	2000 (24th session)
Reference no.	990
Region	Europe and North America

The Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi (Italian: Basilica di San Francesco d'Assisi; Latin: Basilica Sancti Francisci Assisiensis) is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Order of Friars Minor Conventual in Assisi, a town in the Umbria region in central Italy, where Saint Francis was born and died. It is a papal minor basilica and one of the most important places of Christian pilgrimage in Italy. With its accompanying friary, Sacro Convento, the basilica is a distinctive landmark to those approaching Assisi. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000.

The basilica, which was begun in 1228, is built into the side of a hill and comprises two churches (known as the Upper Church and the Lower Church) and a crypt, where the remains of the saint are interred. The interior of the Upper Church is an important early example of the Gothic style in Italy. The Upper and Lower Churches are decorated with frescoes by numerous late medieval painters from the Roman and Tuscan schools, and include works by Cimabue, Giotto, Simone Martini, Pietro Lorenzetti, and possibly Pietro Cavallini. The range and quality of the works give the basilica a unique importance in demonstrating the outstanding development of Italian art of this period, especially if compared with the rest of Christian Europe.