Basilica of San Francesco

The Basilica of San Francesco, in Siena

The Basilica of San Francesco is one of the great churches of Siena, built by the Franciscans in the thirteenth century. The Siena audio-guided tour stops here, with respect, to evoke this vast sanctuary with a deliberately plain style, faithful to the Franciscan spirit.

The great church of the Franciscans

Here is the Basilica of San Francesco, one of the great churches of Siena, built by the Franciscans in the thirteenth century. Faithful to their spirit of simplicity and poverty, inherited from Saint Francis of Assisi, the friars chose a deliberately plain style: a vast single nave, without superfluous decor, which favours the scale and the light over ornamentation. This sobriety, proper to the mendicant orders, translates their spiritual ideal and their closeness to the people. The brick basilica, vast and luminous, nonetheless keeps precious works of art, including frescoes of Sienese masters. Located near a former Franciscan convent, it was an important centre of preaching and religious life. Its scale and its atmosphere of contemplation make it a soothing place, away from the bustle of the centre. A major sanctuary and a witness of Franciscan spirituality, the Basilica of San Francesco is discovered with respect.

What to see

You admire, with respect, the great church built by the Franciscans in the thirteenth century, with a vast single nave with a deliberately plain style faithful to the spirit of simplicity of Saint Francis, which keeps precious works of art including frescoes of Sienese masters, in a soothing atmosphere of contemplation. The Basilica of San Francesco is a major sanctuary of Siena. It is a stop to be discovered with respect.

Practical information

The Basilica of San Francesco lies in the heart of Siena, a little away from the centre, reachable on foot. A place of worship, it can be visited with respect for services; entry is generally free, but hours vary. It is best to check them before coming and to respect the sacred character of the place.

Why is the Basilica of San Francesco of Siena so plain?

Because the Franciscans who built it in the thirteenth century, faithful to their spirit of simplicity and poverty inherited from Saint Francis of Assisi, chose a deliberately plain style, with a vast single nave favouring the scale and the light over ornamentation.

Where is the Basilica of San Francesco of Siena?

In the heart of Siena, in Tuscany, in Italy.