Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi

About

San Francesco is a late-Renaissance, Roman Catholic minor basilica church located on via Terranuova in Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna, Italy.

A small Franciscan church and monastery was erected by 1232 at the site; but soon work began on a larger church. In 1341-1344 was built the present layout with a Gothic design is attributed to the masters Armanno, Taddeo and Falconetto da Fontana. Chapels were added over the next centuries.

During the Erculean Addition patronised by Ercole I d'Este, the church was reconstructed in a Renaissance -style by the architect Biagio Rossetti. In 1570, an earthquake razed the roof and collapsed part of the facade, and led to its present reconstruction. To the left of the brick facade were the Oratories of San Sebastiano and della Concezione. In 1864, the altarpieces depicting the Madonna del Pilastro and Child with St. Jerome, the Baptist, St. Anthony of Padua, another Saint, and Lodovica Trotti and the Resurrection of Lazarus (1532), both by Benvenuto Tisi (Garofalo) were moved to the civic museum. In 1957, Pope Pius XII elevated the church designation to a Minor Basilica. The earthquake of 2012 caused closure of the basilica.

In the 20th century, much of its artwork was moved to the Ferrara Pinacothek, and replaced by copies. Among the remaining works is the fresco of the Capture of Christ (1524) by Garofalo in the first chapel on left. The church still has the baroque cenotaph of marchese Ghiron Francesco Villa, a Ferrarese condottiero who, in 1668, led armies for Venice in the ill-fated defense of Candia against Ottoman armies. The memorial has a statue of the Marchese by Emanuel Tesauro and bas-reliefs depicting his feats as a general.

A guide to the city from 1773 chronicles the rich patrimony of San Francesco prior to the Napoleonic suppression.

The ceiling of the choir was frescoed by Francesco Ferrari. Three large canvases behind the main altar, a Deposition, Resurrection, and Assumption of Christ, were painted by Domenico Mona ; below half-figures of Saints were painted by Niccolò Roselli. The chancel had two canvases flanking the altar, depicting a Virgin at the Temple and Christ among the Doctors by either Antonio Bonfanti or his brother.

The first chapel to the right of the nave held a stucco Immaculate Conception by Angiolo Pio with angels by Pietro Turchi. The next chapel belonged to the Rondinoli family. The following chapel had an image of the Blessed Andrea Conti by Giuseppe Alemani.

Below the organ at the choir, was an altar of the Novari family with a Saint Jerome attributed to Tomaso Laureatti and a Saint Francis attributed to Garofalo. The door entering had an Altar of the Assumption of the Virgin painted by Carpi, copied by Scarsellino. The original was taken to Rome. Adjacent walls had canvases of Saint Francis and various saints by Gabrielle Capellini, and an Ascent of Christ attributed to Niccolò Roselli.

The interior organ panels depicted an Annunciation, and Saint Francis by Ortolano; the outside panels, an Angel of the Annunciation and Saint Anthony of Padua by Giacomo Griego. The parapet before the organ a David and half figures of Saint Francis and Anthony attributed to Garofalo; other saints by Bononi.

The first chapel (Montachiese family) of the nave had an altarpiece of the Burial of Christ, attributed to either the Flemish Arrigo Clochero or the Milanese Ambrogio Fighini. It was flanked by a Saint John Evangelist by followers of Dossi, and a Saint Luke, a copy of a Pordenone work by Giuseppe Cremonesi.

The next chapel had a Virgin with Saint Elizabeth Queen of Hungary and Blessed Solomea by Giovanni Braccioli ; the wall has an Annuciation by Francesco Naselli, and a Coronation of the Virgin by Scarsellino.

The next chapel houses a Holy Family by Ortolano; a God the father above by Garofalo, on walls; a Marriage of the Virgin by Leonello Bononi ; and a Holy family with Saint Joseph attributed to either a follower of Naselli or the Flemish Giovanni Vengembes.

The next chapel had an altarpiece of the Virgin with Saints John the Baptist, Sebastian, and Bonaventure by Giuseppe Mazzuoli, a Salvatori nella Cimazio by Carlo Bononi. The walls had a Saint Francis receiving stigmata from Jesus-child by Monio; a Last Supper by Dionigio Calvart, others by Giovanni Vengembes.

The Riminaldi chapel housed an altarpiece depicting Rest on Flight to Egypt by Garofalo. The walls had a relief of the Nativity by Pietro Turchi. The next chapel (Bonacossi) had a Byzantine icon, the Virgin of Saint Luke. The parapet of the altar had an image of the Blessed Giovanni da Tossignano attributed to Garofolo. The marble pulpit was sculpted in 1623 by the Codegori family.

The Trotti chapel had an altarpiece of the Enthroned Virgin and Child with Saints John the Baptist, Bonaventure, and Jerome by Garofolo, flanked by two old panels with San Fiorentino, Sant' Antonino Martiri, and a third with Saint Bernardino by Cosimo Tura.

The last chapel clockwise (first on left, the Argenti chapel) had a marble altar with a Christ in Gesthemane, attributed to Girolamo Lombardi, Ferrara and God the Father by Garofalo, along with the still present Capture of Christ in the Garden.

The nave and counter facade were frescoed by Giuseppe Filippi. The statues of Saint Francis and Saint Anthony in the facade niches are by Antonio Magni.

The second chapel of the right nave (Lombardini) had an Addolorata statue attributed to the studio of the Lombardi. The third chapel had a Virgin with Franciscan Saints, San Carlo and a Holy Bishop by Francesco Parolini. The fourth chapel had a Massacre of the Innocents attributed to Guercino, and below were the Adoration of the Magi, Circumcision, and the Repose in Egypt with an oval depicting Flight to Egypt, all attributed to Garofalo; statues of Hosea and Jeremiah sculpted by Andrea Ferreri.

The next chapel had an icon of San Francesco di Paola by Domenico Monio, and an oval with saints by Giovanni Battista Cozza, with laterals depicting Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Anthony of Padua, both in prayer, and both by Monio.

In the Chapel of San Francesco was a terracotta statue by Lorenzo Gheri, a Saint Francis lulled to sleep by Angel with Viola, and Saint Francis in ecstasy by Giuseppe Mazzoni.