St. Francis Church

Today’s Largo ‘Tommaso Rossi’ is the result of various demolitions and rearrangements of religious buildings. Today, the Church of St Francis of Assisi and the front section of the Abbey Church of Santa Maria della Piazza are visible.

Audio-Guide

Under the apse of the latter is the precious Oratory of St James, with its vaults decorated with Baroque frescoes. Of particular interest are the fresco of St Catherine of Alexandria at the bottom of the crypt and some fragments on the walls, probably coeval with the foundation of the Abbey, which took place between the 12th and 13th centuries. The Church of St Francis, part of the Abbey complex, dates back to the 13th century. For the richness and value of its marbles, paintings and statues, the Church is one of the most important in Montefusco. Tradition has it that it was founded, together with the adjoining former convent, by the Saint himself, who stopped here on his way to Brindisi.

The original Romanesque structure, as attested by the apse, dates back to the 13th century, although important works can be ascribed to the 16th century. The stone portal is remarkable, refined and elegant.

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Inside, various works of art could be seen, including two 15th-century lunettes painted on gilded wood depicting St Apollonius and St Blaise and 18th-century paintings.