Chiesa dei Francescani di San Leopoldo con chiostro

The Franciscan Church of Saint Leopold and its cloister in San Candido combine an austere late-seventeenth-century building with a substantial cycle of paintings devoted to Saint Francis. The complex expresses the order's ideal of poverty while preserving later artistic commissions.

Why it matters

Designed by the Franciscan friar Vitus Rastbichler and inaugurated in 1697, the church avoids a tall bell tower, elaborate vaulting and frescoed ceilings. Its simplicity distinguishes it from the town's collegiate architecture.

What to notice

Thirty-one large cloister paintings by Lukas Platzer narrate Saint Francis' life in seventy-two scenes. Painted in 1706–1709, they bear the names of their wealthy and noble donors. In the church, local-wood inlay enriches the high altar beneath Christoph Unterberger's painting of Mary and the Child with Saints Leopold and Francis. Johann Paterer's figures of Bonaventure and Charles Borromeo stand beside it.

Context and history

The collegiate canons initially resisted the Franciscan foundation, fearing it would attract beggars. Rococo altars later supplemented the simpler original furnishings. Restoration in 1992 brought the complex closer to its earlier appearance and received the Europa Nostra award in 1994.