Chiesa di San Francesco

The Church of San Francesco in Montagnana is first documented in 1350, when a papal concession authorised the Friars Minor to build there. Romanesque features in its facade suggest that the building may be older. The adjacent convent is now home to a community of Poor Clare nuns.

Why it matters

San Francesco represents the mendicant orders’ place in Montagnana’s religious history. After restoration in the 1960s, the adjacent convent was occupied by the Poor Clares, and perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament was established in the church. The church remains associated with the monastery.

What to notice

The church has a brick facade with Romanesque elements, and a single nave with three altars. An eighteenth-century Callido organ stands on the loggia above the entrance. Fragments of fourteenth-century frescoes survive along the left aisle. Behind the main altar hangs an altarpiece by Palma il Giovane depicting the Madonna and Child with Saints John the Baptist, Mark, Francis and Zeno. Wall tombs of local families also remain in the church.

Context and history

The 1350 papal concession is the earliest known document relating to the church, though its facade suggests an older structure. The church’s history includes the mendicant orders’ work in Montagnana and, from the 1960s, the presence of the Poor Clare community in the adjoining convent. The Diocese of Padua lists the Monastero San Francesco among its Poor Clare communities.