The Franciscans originally settled outside what is now Porta Cannara. In 1275, the Prior of San Michele gave them an oratory on this site, which is the highest point in the town and was originally the site of another Roman temple. The oratory was dedicated to San Giovanni Battista and that gave its name to the northwest quarter of Bevagna.
The Franciscans built the present church (which was originally dedicated to San Giovanni Battista) and the adjoining convent.
Exterior
The lower part of the façade preserves its original character, and the vestiges of a rose window can be seen above.
The cloister and convent were adapted in the 1970s for use as a school.
Scenes from the life of St Francis (1655)
These frescoes in the cloister, which were signed by Bernardino Gagliardi and dated by inscription, no longer survive.
Interior
The interior of the church, which has a single nave and a semi-circular, vaulted apse, acquired its current appearance when it was re-modeled in 1756. However, the two chapels on the right (see below) both retained their original appearances.
Trinity and the Virgin with Saints (16th century)
Madonna della Misericordia (1580)
Cappella della Madonna di Loreto
Ciccoli Chapel
This chapel, the 1st on the right, belonged to the Ciccoli family and contains the monuments of:
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✴Gisberto Ciccoli, on the left wall; and
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✴Antonio and Francesco Ciccoli, on the right wall (not visible during my visit of April 2010). It apparently has a fresco (1594) of the Pietà that is signed by Ascensidonio Spacca, called il Fantino and dated by inscription.
[The damaged altarpiece (late 16th century) depicts the Crucifixion, with St Francis kneeling at the foot of the cross. It is sometimes attributed to Dono Doni or il Fantino]
[Pavement tomb of Francesco Torti]
Art from the Church
The following works from San Francesco are now in the Pinacoteca.
Ciccoli Altarpiece (ca. 1565)
The altarpiece commemorates his nephew who had died when only ten: the boy is shown at the Virgin’s knee receiving the blessing of the baby Jesus. Gisberto was a doctor, and one can sense his grief at having been unable to save his nephew: two inscriptions below the arms of the Ciccoli and Sermattei families lament his early death.
Madonna di Constantinopoli with saints (1609)