Papal Basilica and Sacred Convent of Saint Francis in Assisi

Assisi, Umbria, Italy

---

The Papal Basilica of Saint Francis in Assisi, Umbria, Italy, also known as the Basilica of San Francesco, is a monumental twin-church complex built into a hillside starting in 1228, shortly after Saint Francis's canonization, to house his tomb and honor his legacy of poverty and faith.

The Lower Church, completed by 1230 in Romanesque style with ribbed vaults and chapels adorned by frescoes from masters like Cimabue and Simone Martini, leads to a crypt safeguarding the saint's remains rediscovered in 1818. 

Above it, the Upper Church exemplifies early Italian Gothic with its bright nave, towering windows featuring 13th-century stained glass, and Giotto's famous fresco cycle depicting Francis's life, all framed by a simple façade with rose windows and a free-standing Romanesque bell tower, forming a UNESCO World Heritage site alongside the adjacent Sacro Convento friary.