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Church of San Francesco d'Assisi in Grosseto
- Category Art History and Culture
Agriturismo - Where to stay overnight
The church of San Francesco was originally called the church of San Fortunato: it was consecrated in 1289 and ruled by the Benedictine monks as early as the 12th century, when with the church of San Pietro and other religious buildings that later disappeared, it was donated to the Bishop of Grosseto by Clement III in 1188. Abandoned by the Benedictines in 1220, the church passed to the Franciscans and was consecrated as the church of San Francesco in 1621 by the bishop Francesco Piccolomini.
Until the Napoleonic suppressions it was officiated by the Friars Minor Conventual, then in the period 1832-33 it was used as an infirmary for the Maremma land reclamation workers and from 1859 to 1865 it was the seat of the Episcopal Chair during the restoration of the Cathedral. On 9 June 1903, Bishop Caldaioli reopened the church for worship after the restoration work begun at the end of the 19th century and in 1924 Bishop Matteoni entrusted it to the Friars Minor of the Tuscan Province of Sante Stimmate, still present today.
On 11 February 1949 it was erected as a parish.
The building has a single nave in Gothic-Franciscan style, with a gable roof. Inside there are frescoes dating back to between the 1300s and 1600s. The chapel on the right is dedicated to Saint Anthony and was the focus of a recent restoration and consolidation. On the walls there are frescoes by the Nasini. Above the main altar stands the beautiful Crucifix from the late 13th century attributed to Guido di Graziano.
