Basilica Minore di San Francesco d'Assisi

The Basilica of San Francesco d' Assisi (St. Francis of Assisi) is a splendid medieval church erected in the typically Italian Romanesque Gothic style. Construction was begun in 1255 by the Franciscan Order, which still has a monastery here. The portal is noted for its richly decorated triple false arches, while the exquisite rose window above the main entrance is the epitomizes medieval Latin church architecture. The facade, built in the early 1300s by the Ventimiglia, Abbatelli and Chiaramonte families, is not unlike that of the Church of Sant' Agostino, but inside St. Francis retains a much more medieval flavor. The church has a nave with magnificent arches, and also a beautiful cloister. A side chapel is dedicated to the Sicilian branch of the Grimaldi family, better known in Genoa and Monaco.