Chiesa di San Francesco al Prato

San Francesco al Prato is a former Franciscan church in Perugia, built between 1251 and 1253 and later adapted as a civic cultural venue. Its sculptural remains, neighbouring oratory and history of dispersed altarpieces preserve the memory of one of the city's most important religious complexes.

Why it matters

The church became a burial place for Perugia's leading families and housed a prominent Franciscan studium. Its history also records the movement of artworks across Italy and Europe, including paintings by Raphael and Perugino once made for its altars.

What to notice

The façade was rebuilt in 1926 by Pietro Angelici, following its appearance in a painting by Benedetto Bonfigli. Beside the church, the fifteenth-century Oratory of the Immaculate Conception is faced with white and pink marble inlay associated with Agostino di Duccio. In the chapel of the Gonfalone, tomb slabs and a terracotta floor remain, along with a projection reconstructing artworks removed from the church.

Context and history

Built on the model of the Upper Basilica of Saint Francis in Assisi, San Francesco al Prato was enlarged and restored over the centuries. Structural problems led to the loss of its dome and vaults. A restoration campaign beginning in the late 1990s consolidated the church and prepared it for use as an auditorium; the former convent now accommodates the Accademia di Belle Arti.