Church of San Francesco d’Assisi

The Church of San Francesco d’Assisi is a beautiful church located in the main square of Ostuni, Piazza della Libertà, adjacent to the Palazzo di Città (Palace of the City).

SHORT HISTORY

The church was founded in 1304 by the Order of the Minor Friars, on a land donated by Philip I, Prince of Taranto. The friars took care of it for the next five centuries, and after the suppression of the religious orders in 1813, the church was given to the Archconfraternity of the Immaculate, which still manages it.

In 1615, the Church of San Francesco d’Assisi underwent major transformations, being largely rebuilt. In the second half of the 18th century, the church was renovated under the direction of the master mason and sculptor Giuseppe Fasano, assisted by his son Carlo and by Nicolantonio Maldarella.

The facade was designed in 1883 by the architect Gaetano Jurleo, to harmonize it with the adjacent facade of the Palazzo di Città, which today hosts the Town Hall.

ARCHITECTURE

The facade of the church is divided into two orders by a cornice. On the upper order, there is an atypical window of Romanesque inspiration. In the lower part, near the door, there are the statues in Carrara marble of San Francesco d’Assisi, on the left, and Sant’Antonio di Padova, on the right, works of the sculptor Francesco Bagnulo, placed there in 1935. The bronze door, by the sculptor Egidio Giaroli, was added in 1985.

The interior, with a single nave, decorated in 1777 by the masters Salvatore Trinchera and Francesco Greco, is delimited by columns and pilasters with Corinthian capitals, and crowned, at the top of the harmonious vaults, by the dome. The organ dates back to 1882 and was built by Tommaso Alvano from Naples.

HOW TO GET THERE

The Church of San Francesco d’Assisi is located on the southern edge of the historical center of the city, in Piazza della Libertà. The closest bus station is in Via Giuseppe Pisanelli, about 230 meters away.