Chiesa di San Francesco

The Franciscan church of San Francesco in Pistoia is known for its broad nave beneath an exposed timber roof and its fourteenth-century frescoes, including scenes from the life of Saint Francis. The present complex grew from construction begun in 1289 and continued into the early eighteenth century.

Why it matters

The church reflects the Franciscan presence in Pistoia from the thirteenth century onward. A church for the friars is documented by 1232; in 1249, the canons of the cathedral ceded Santa Maria al Prato to the Minorites. In 1289, the city council authorized a new church beside the moat of the second circuit of walls, with the friars agreeing to demolish the older church.

What to notice

The great nave’s exposed wooden roof follows a Tuscan tradition also seen in large Florentine churches. Fourteenth-century frescoes include scenes from the Stories of Saint Francis, bringing the order’s history into the church’s interior.

Context and history

Construction continued for generations: civic records mention aid to the friars in 1296, and bequests for the church’s building were still recorded in 1374. The convent was suppressed in 1808 and again in 1866, when its buildings passed to the municipality. A community of Conventual Franciscans returned in 1926, and in 1959 the church became the seat of a new city parish. It remains an active parish church.