Church of St. Francis of the River

Church of St. Francis of the River

The Church of St. Francis of the River is a church in Rome, Italy, located on the banks of the Tiber River. The church is dedicated to St. Francis because the adjacent monastery hosted him in 1229.

The origins of the Church of St. Francis of the River are connected to a Franciscan monastery in Rome’s Trastevere district. In 1231, the monastery built an annex church dedicated to St. Blaise. This church was decorated with (now lost) frescoes of the life of St. Francis by Pietro Cavallini, which may have been the prototype for the famous “Legend of St. Francis” fresco cycle painted by Giotto di Bondone in the Upper Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi.

The current Church of St. Francis of the River was built starting in 1603, with its façade completed between 1681 and 1701. It was used as a military barracks from 1873 to 1943. In the left-side Chapel of Paruzzi-Albertoni, there is a masterpiece by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, the sculpture “Beata Ludovica Albertoni,” which is popular with visitors. In the square in front of the church stands an Ionic column erected by Pope Pius IX, taken from the ruins of Veii.

San Francesco a Ripa

Reason to visit: One of the oldest churches in Rome

Continent where the attraction is located: Europe【Europe】

Country/Region where the attraction is located: Italy[Italy]

Province/State where the attraction is located: Lazio Region [Lazio Region]

City where the attraction is located: Rome [Rome]