Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi, Assisi

Q: What famous frescoes are in the Basilica of St. Francis?

Giotto's Life of St. Francis cycle (28 scenes) in the Upper Church is the highlight. These frescoes from the 1290s revolutionized Italian painting. Cimabue's Crucifixion is in the transept.

Q: Who painted the frescoes?

Giotto di Bondone painted the main cycle in the Upper Church. Cimabue, his teacher, painted the transept and apse. Simone Martini and Pietro Lorenzetti worked in the Lower Church. It's a Renaissance prelude.

Q: What's the structure of the basilica?

Two churches stacked: the Upper Church (Giotto's St. Francis cycle, bright and airy) and the Lower Church (darker, more intimate, with Lorenzetti frescoes). St. Francis's tomb is in the crypt below. Giotto's scenes read like a comic strip along the nave walls.

Q: Is the basilica free to visit?

Yes, entry is free. It's an active Franciscan church. Modest dress required (covered shoulders and knees). Photography without flash is allowed in most areas. Cimabue's frescoes were damaged in the 1997 earthquake but restored.

Q: Why are Giotto's frescoes important?

Giotto broke from the flat Byzantine style and introduced naturalistic space and emotion. His St. Francis scenes show real landscapes, solid human figures, and dramatic storytelling. Art historians consider this the starting point of Western Renaissance painting.

Assisi, Italy

Visitor Information

Museum Address

Piazza San Francesco 2, 06081 Assisi (PG), Italy

Assisi, Italy

Ticket Prices

Free (audio guide €8)

Official Website →

Featured Artists

2 artists in database

1Giotto di Bondone23 works 2Cimabue1 work

The Basilica of Saint Francis stands as one of Christianity's most sacred sites and a turning point in Western art history. Pope Gregory IX laid the foundation stone in 1228, just two years after Francis of Assisi's death, and construction of the two-stacked churches was completed by 1253. The site, once a hill used for executions, became UNESCO's designation as a "masterpiece of human creative genius" for good reason. Within these walls, Giotto di Bondone sparked an artistic revolution with his frescoes depicting the life of St. Francis.

Giotto's 28-scene cycle in the Upper Church, painted between 1296 and 1304, broke decisively from the flat Byzantine tradition that had dominated medieval painting. His figures show weight, emotion, and spatial depth that artists would build upon for centuries. Cimabue's earlier crucifixion scene in the transept shows the older style that Giotto transformed. The 1997 earthquakes damaged several vault sections, but restoration has preserved most of the cycle. Visitors enter through the Lower Church to reach St. Francis's tomb, then climb to the Upper Church where light floods the famous frescoes. The combination of pilgrimage destination and art historical landmark draws both the devout and the curious.

Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi, Assisi in Assisi, Italy houses in our database.

Visiting Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi, Assisi

Giotto's Life of St. Francis cycle (28 scenes) in the Upper Church is the highlight. These frescoes from the 1290s revolutionized Italian painting. Cimabue's Crucifixion is in the transept.

Giotto di Bondone painted the main cycle in the Upper Church. Cimabue, his teacher, painted the transept and apse. Simone Martini and Pietro Lorenzetti worked in the Lower Church. It's a Renaissance prelude.

Two churches stacked: the Upper Church (Giotto's St. Francis cycle, bright and airy) and the Lower Church (darker, more intimate, with Lorenzetti frescoes). St. Francis's tomb is in the crypt below. Giotto's scenes read like a comic strip along the nave walls.

Yes, entry is free. It's an active Franciscan church. Modest dress required (covered shoulders and knees). Photography without flash is allowed in most areas. Cimabue's frescoes were damaged in the 1997 earthquake but restored.

Giotto broke from the flat Byzantine style and introduced naturalistic space and emotion. His St. Francis scenes show real landscapes, solid human figures, and dramatic storytelling. Art historians consider this the starting point of Western Renaissance painting.

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Please note: Artwork locations and display status may change. Some paintings may be on loan, in restoration, or moved to different galleries within the museum. We recommend contacting Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi, Assisi directly to confirm specific artwork availability before your visit.

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