Convento di San Francesco

The Convent of San Francesco stands on a spur beside Colle Alta, linked to the town by a medieval bridge. Church, cloister and recovered frescoes preserve different periods of the former Franciscan complex.

Why it matters

The site belongs to the early expansion of Franciscan communities in Tuscany. Its separated position and later connection with the town illustrate the relationship between a religious foundation and the civic community that supported it.

What to notice

The church's side wall retains outlines of pointed windows, while the facade includes later neo-Gothic additions. In the cloister, heraldic carving joins the arms of the Franciscan order and the community of Colle. Recovered paintings include a Madonna and Child with an apostle tentatively associated with Cennino Cennini and Saint Francis receiving the stigmata by Pier Francesco Fiorentino.

Context and history

Permission to build an oratory was granted in 1229. The bridge linking the convent with the Borgo was built in 1335–1338. Later alterations changed the fabric, and the complex served as the public hospital from 1767 to 1809. Restoration in 1992 brought frescoes back to light, extending the history of a building repeatedly adapted to different uses.