San Francesco (13th century)
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The 14th century dissident Franciscan, Angelo Clareno, recorded a vision that St Francis had during a stay at the Sacro Speco di Sant' Urbano outside Narni in 1213. According to tradition, Bishop Ugolino (1208-20) called St Francis to Narni at this time and the saint established a second oratory on what was to become the site of San Francesco. The early biographies record a miracle that St Francis performed at Narni, but it is impossible to be sure that this occurred in 1213.
Whatever the accuracy of the foundation stories, it is possible that the present church was begun soon after the death of St Francis in 1226.
The Franciscans occupied the convent here until the suppression of 1860.
Exterior
 
The façade and its fine portal date to the 14th century, but its rose window above was removed in the 17th century.
The fresco (17th century) in the niche above the portal depicts the Madonna di Loretto with SS Francis and Bernardino of Siena.
Interior

The interior is in the form of a wide nave and two aisles, each of which is separated from the nave by an arcade of four cylindrical columns. The style of the polygonal apse is similar to that of the apse of San Giovenale, which was rebuilt in 1322. Eight side chapels were added in the 14th and 15th centuries.
A ninth, now known as the Eroli Chapel (the 1st chapel on the right) has a separate page.
A “brutal” restoration of the church was carried out in 1858, two years before its suppression. It was badly damaged by fire in 1998 and subsequently restored.
Frescoes on the Pillars on the Left
Those on the 1st pillar on the left include this standing figure (early 15th century) of St Francis, which is attributed to the Maestro di Narni del 1409.
 
Those on the 2nd pillar on the left include (from the left, above):
the figures (ca. 1350) of the Annunciation; and
a fresco (early 15th century) of the Madonna and Child enthroned, which is attributed to the Maestro di Narni del 1409.
 
Those on the 3rd pillar on the left include (from the left, above):
a standing figure (ca. 1400) of St Thomas, which is attributed to the Maestro della Dormitio di Terni;
a standing figure (15th century) of St Lucy, holding her eyes on a plate.
Those on the 4th pillar on the left include this standing figure (late 14th century) of the Madonna and Child.
Frescoes on the Pillars on the Right
 
Those on the 1st pillar on the right include (from the left, above):
the Madonna and Child enthroned (ca. 1350); and
a fresco (early 15th century) of the standing Madonna and Child with two saints (a bishop and an abbot).
  
Those on the 2nd pillar on the right include (from the left, above):
standing figures (ca. 1350) of SS Francis and Leonard;
a fresco (early 15th century) of the Madonna and Child enthroned with SS Antony Abbot and Francis, which is attributed to the Maestro di Narni del 1409; and
a figure (ca. 1450) of St Peter, which was originally part of a larger fresco of the Madonna and Child enthroned with saints, the rest of which is damaged or completely lost.
  
Those on the 3rd pillar on the right include (from the left, above):
the upper part of a figure (ca. 1400) of St Francis, which is attributed to the Maestro della Dormitio di Terni;
a fresco (ca. 1400) of the Madonna and Child enthroned with SS Antony Abbot and Francis, which is attributed to a follower of the Maestro della Dormitio di Terni (painted over an earlier fresco, some of which is visible under the surviving fragment of St Antony Abbot); and
a fresco (15th century) of the Trinity with St Andrew and a deacon saint.
Fresco on the Counter-Facade (ca. 1400)
This fresco fragment of the face of a deacon saint is attributed to the Maestro della Dormitio di Terni.
(An interesting sinopie of a standing figure has been uncovered below it).
Frescoes (2nd chapel on the right)

These include frescoes (14th century) under the entrance arch that depict the Apostles in tondi (of which only part is illustrated here).
Frescoes (2nd chapel on the left)
These include a damaged fresco (early 15th century) on the right wall of St George killing a dragon, which is attributed to the Maestro di Narni del 1409.
 
There are two images of St Antony Abbot on the wall under the arch that leads to the 3rd chapel:
a standing figure (ca. 1400), is attributed to a follower of the Maestro della Dormitio di Terni (to the left, above); and
a very damaged fresco (15th century) opposite of St Antony Abbot enthroned.
The graffiti under the saint’s left hand in the earlier of these frescoes was written by Brother Ambrose in the reign of Pope Sixtus IV (1471-84).
Frescoes (3rd chapel on the left)
These include:
a fresco (early 15th century) of the Madonna and Child enthroned (on the left), which is attributed to the Maestro di Narni del 1409; and
the left part of a fresco (ca. 1400) of the Madonna della Misericordia, which is attributed to a follower of the Maestro della Dormitio di Terni.
Frescoes (4th chapel on the left)
The surviving frescoes (ca. 1400), which are to the left of the entrance arch, depict the Trinity and St John the Baptist and are attributed to the Maestro di Narni del 1409. The fresco of the Trinity uses the iconography of the three-headed Christ (illustrated here).
Triptych (2005)
 
This triptych is the work of three young art historians: Ilaria Bigiaretti, Alessandro Novelli and Lucilla Vignoli. Its installation in the presbytery during the celebration of the Corsa all' Anello in 2005 is described in this article in “La Pagina” (search on “Narni”).
The triptych depicts the Madonna and Child enthroned with: SS Francis and Catherine of Alexandria on the left; and SS Louis of Toulouse and John the Evangelist on the right. The predella contains scenes from the life of Christ.
In the scene of the Crucifixion (at the centre of the predella), St Francis, Blessed Valentine of Narni, while Bishop Giovanni Giacomo dei Tolomei of Narni kneel at the foot of the cross.
Sacristy
The friars conceded the use of the sacristy to the Compagnia di San Giuseppe in 1570. [I think this is to the right of the apse. However, the door was locked during my visits in 2006 and 2009, so I could not see it.]
Scenes from the Old and New Testaments (1570)
The Compagnia di San Giuseppe commissioned this documented fresco cycle from Alessandro Torresani for the walls of their new chapel.
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