Church of Saint Francesco

Founded in the thirteenth century, the church of Saint Francesco shows a clear separation between the Romanesque architecture at the rear and the late Gothic at the front, where worshippers are welcomed through an elegant polychrome façade, rich with architectural ornaments and characterised by the twin doors that recall the basilica church dedicated to the saint at Assisi. Inside the church there are wonderful fourteenth-century paintings in the Beccaria chapel. The wooden choir stalls are truly a hidden and little-known gem (four backrests are held at the Civic Museum), the work of fifteenth-century master carvers. The carved figures represent a summa botanica of the period, with many symbolic meanings and it is a fine challenge for the visitors to discover all the plants and flowers portrayed in these exceptionally beautiful compositions.