San Francesco is a Romanesque- and Gothic-style

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

church located in the center of Lucignano, region of Tuscany, Italy.

History

The church is first mentioned as belonging to Frati Minori in 1289. The church with a bicolored ( travertine marble and

pietra serena ''Pietra serena'' is a blue-gray sandstone used extensively in Italian Renaissance, Renaissance Florence for architectural details. It is also known as Macigno stone. The material obtained at Fiesole is considered the best and is also quarried a ...

) facade has a rose window in the center. The rounded portal is highly decorated with spiraling pilasters. The apse has a series of vaults with Gothic tracery. Nineteenth century restoration by Castellucci removed much of the plaster obscuring earlier frescoes, and altars that were shuttering windows. The interior with a single nave has a collection of frescoes from the 15th and 16th centuries. Including ''Scenes from the Life of St Francis'' by

Bartolo di Fredi Bartolo di Fredi (c. 1330 – 26 January 1410), also called Bartolo Battiloro, was an Italian painter, born in Siena, classified as a member of the Sienese School. Biography He had a large studio and was one of the most influential painters wor ...

and

Taddeo di Bartolo Taddeo di Bartolo (c. 1363 – 26 August 1422), also known as Taddeo Bartoli, was an Italian painter of the Sienese School during the early Renaissance. His biography appears in the '' Vite'' of Giorgio Vasari, who claims that Taddeo was the un ...

. The first altar right of main altar has a fresco depicting a grim ''Triumph of Death'' by Bartolo; in the painting, death as a horseman, dressed in black on a black horse, bears upon two conversing noblemen. There is a large polyptych of ''Madonna and Saints'' by

Luca di Tomme Luca or LUCA may refer to: People * Luca (masculine given name), including a list of people * Luca (feminine given name), including a list of people * Luca (surname), including a list of people Places * The ancient name of Lucca, an Etruscan c ...

. Much of the artwork of this church has been lost or dispersed.

Vasari Giorgio Vasari (30 July 1511 – 27 June 1574) was an Italian Renaissance painter, architect, art historian, and biographer who is best known for his work '' Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects'', considered the ide ...

recounts of some painted and bejeweled cabinet-reliquary by

Luca Signorelli Luca Signorelli ( – 16 October 1523) was an Italian Renaissance painter from Cortona, in Tuscany, who was noted in particular for his ability as a draftsman and his use of foreshortening. His massive frescos of the ''Last Judgment'' (1499–15 ...

. A canvas of the Virgin in the church is also attributed to the school of Signorelli. Triumph-of-death-bartolo-di-fredi-lucignano-1360s

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Francesco Lucignano Churches in Lucignano Roman Catholic churches in Tuscany

Francesco Francesco, the Italian language, Italian (and original) version of the personal name "Francis (given name), Francis", is one of the List of most popular given names, most common given name among males in Italy. Notable persons with that name inclu ...

Romanesque architecture in Tuscany 13th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy