Convento di San Giovanni da Capestrano

The Franciscan convent of San Giovanni da Capestrano was begun in 1447 at the saint’s wish. Its church, painted cloister and later monastic buildings preserve the history of the friary and the town’s most prominent religious figure.

Why it matters

Giovanni da Capestrano was born in the town and became a Franciscan preacher whose activity extended across the first half of the fifteenth century. The convent was founded at his request on land donated by Countess Cobella da Cellano. Its successive buildings connect his memory with the long religious and civic history of Capestrano.

What to notice

The church portico preserves frescoes painted in 1488. The cloister, completed in 1620, contains a cycle depicting episodes from the saint’s life, while a fresco in the refectory dates to 1724. Later features include the monumental staircase known as the scala regia, completed in 1750, and a six-metre statue of the saint made by Father Andrea Martini in 1977. The museum collection includes Giovanni’s cloak, staff and sandals, an illuminated Bible given by Pope Callixtus III and a papal bull of Urban IV dated 18 April 1262.

Context and history

Construction began in 1447 and the convent expanded over the following centuries. A wool workshop was recorded in 1654; the church was enlarged in 1735, the library wing completed in 1742, and a water cistern added to the cloister in 1774. The complex continued to grow with a cemetery-facing wing in 1853. Giovanni da Capestrano died at Belgrade in 1456 while preaching a crusade against the Ottoman advance. He is venerated as patron of military chaplains and jurists, and Capestrano marks his feast on 23 October.