Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi

The Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi is a 13th-century Franciscan church complex in Assisi, Umbria, built over the traditional tomb of Saint Francis and recognised for its monumental fresco cycles.

The church comprises an upper and a lower basilica; the upper level contains large fresco cycles by leading 13th- and 14th-century painters, while the lower basilica houses the saint’s tomb in a crypt. Pilgrims and art historians come for the frescoes, the crypt, and the architectural layering that illustrates medieval Franciscan spirituality.

Commissioned soon after Saint Francis’s death, construction began in the decades following 1226 and the complex served both as a major pilgrimage church and as the mother church of the Franciscan Order. Over subsequent centuries the basilica accumulated significant artworks and underwent conservation to protect its frescoes and tomb.

Set on the western slope of Assisi’s medieval hilltop town, the basilica overlooks the Umbrian plain and sits within the town’s historic centre, a short walk from Assisi’s main piazzas.

• Construction period: Construction began shortly after Saint Francis's death in 1226 and the basilica was built in the 13th century, with work completed mid-century and later artistic additions.
• Fresco cycles: Fresco cycles by leading medieval painters, including scenes attributed to Giotto and Cimabue, make the basilica a major site for studying early Italian fresco painting.

What to See #

• Upper and Lower Basilicas: A two-level basilica with a lower Romanesque-Gothic church and an upper Gothic church; the lower level contains the crypt and tomb of Saint Francis and the upper level houses major fresco cycles.
• Crypt of Saint Francis: The crypt contains the tomb of Saint Francis and serves as the focal point of Franciscan devotion within the complex.
• Cloisters and monastic complex: Adjacent cloisters and monastic buildings form part of the Franciscan complex and link the basilica to the medieval town of Assisi.