San Francesco Church, Lodi, Italy

San Francesco Church was built between 1280 and the early 14th century, on the site a small church of the Minor Friars dedicated to St. Nicholas. The construction was commissioned by the Lodi bishop Bongiovanni Fissiraga.

In 1527 it was assigned to the Reformed Franciscan Order of St. Bernardino, who, in 1840, were replaced by the Barnabites. In the first years of their tenure, they carried on a wide restoration program, which was completed in 1842.

The church has an unfinished façade in cream-color brickwork, charactersized by a tall ogival cusped portico, also in brickwork. This is flanked by two blind columns and surmounted by a large rose window in white marble, in turn sided by two double ogival mullioned windows.

The wide interior is on the Latin cross plan, divided into a nave and two aisles with four spans each; there are also side chapels. The nave and the aisles are cross-vaulted, separated by ogival arches supported by large brickwork columns. Walls and columns are decorated by numerous frescoes dating from the 14th to the 18th century; among the many 14th century ones, particularly renowned are the Madonna with Child, Saints and Antonio Fissiraga from an unknown Lombard master. In the right aisles are 16th-century frescoes depicting Madonna with St. Francis, St. Bonaventure and a Donor by the local painter Sebastiano Galeotti, a collaborator of Callisto Piazza.

Among the 16th- and 17th-century paintings are included a Saint Anthony meeting Ezzelino III da Romano by il Malosso, St. Francis Receiving the stigmata by Sollecito Arisi and a Madonna of Caravaggio by Enea Salmeggia.

The church contains the tombs of several notable people, including the poet Ada Negri and the naturalist Agostino Bassi.

References:

Wikipedia

Religious sites in Italy

User Reviews

Emanu Spe (14 months ago)
So unusual, exciting, unexpected! The columns dividing the naves are decorated with precious Gothic elegance or Romanesque solemnity. I adore...

Roberto Pavanello (2 years ago)
Magical place. A dip in the Christian Middle Ages, also favored by the choir that has impeccably performed the immortal gregorial melodies.

Paolo Fregonese (2 years ago)
Beautiful Gothic church with a particular façade with open mullioned windows (almost unfinished) that dominates the square in front. Special interiors, frescoes on the walls and columns well preserved (some a little pickled). Inside there is the tomb of Ada Negri: some of her poems are outside on the right of the church behind the cypresses.

Stefania Folli (2 years ago)
Wonderful church but it is really shameful that they allow parking in the beautiful square. The fact that there is a school does not justify parking. Arriving 10 minutes early and walking around would only be healthy. ?? .. Why don't you park next to your children's counter ... ?

Angelo Bertocchi (2 years ago)
The building dates back to the thirteenth century and amazes the facade in pink terracotta and has a rose window in the center with two mullioned windows on the sides. Entering the church, the columns are all enchanted with frescoes. The fresco placed on the VII pillar of the left aisle is the work of a pupil of the master of Fissiraga. The church is the pantheon of illustrious people from Lodi including the poet Ada Negri.

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The site appears to have been abandoned again around 1800 BC, at the onset of the Nuragic age.

The monument was partially reconstructed during the 1980s. It is open to the public and accessible by the old route of SS131 highway, near the hamlet of Ottava. It is 14,9 km from Sassari and 45 km from Alghero. There is no public transportation to the site. The opening times vary throughout the year.

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