Religious building, Bologna
We do not know who was the architect who designed the Basilica of St Francis. What we do know is that its original appearance does not correspond to the present one, because the church was bombed several times during the Second World War.
However, the lack of an architect leads us to assume that the construction of the basilica took place at the hands of the Franciscan Order itself, starting in 1236. The Franciscans erected the church in an area that was outside the city centre at the time, specifically outside the second city wall, known as 'dei torresotti'. Evidence of this location is the gate still visible at the end of Via Porta Nova, one of the few that survived the destruction of the second ring of walls.
In the late Middle Ages it was quite common for basilicas such as that of St Francis to be built outside the walls. At that time monastic orders were emerging and with them also arose the need to find new spaces to build their seats. Since the medieval cities were already saturated with inhabitants and lacking free land, the monastic complexes took the habit of setting up immediately outside the city walls. This way they could comfortably enter and exit the cities to carry out their activities.
On the outside of the church, just behind the apse, two very special funerary monuments can be seen. These are the Tombs of the Glossatori, magnificent testimonies of the ancient cemetery that once surrounded the church, just like in San Domenico.
The arches of the Glossatori house the remains of some of the most important professors of the University of Bologna (the studium in the Middle Ages), Accursio, Odofredo and Rolandino de Romanzi, called glossators because they commented on texts of Roman law by making explanatory notes called glosses.
Due to the bombing between 1943 and 1944, the interior decorations of the Basilica of St. Francis were almost entirely destroyed.
One of the few surviving works is the marble altarpiece, sculpted between 1388 and 1393 by the Dalle Masegne brothers. This large marble altarpiece, a masterpiece of medieval art, depicts episodes from the life of St Francis surrounded by depictions of the Madonna and saints. The pinnacles at the top are decorated with images of eight prophets, while on the highest one is a crucifixion.
Surrounding the altar are several chapels in the 19th and 20th century style, decorated under the direction of architect Rubbiani and other scholars of the time. Located along the church walls, the tombs of Pope Alexander V and Francesco Zambeccari are interesting too.
Zambeccari was a very singular character. When he died in 1812 from a plane crash, he had fought in the royal corps of the Spanish guards, had been reported by the court of the Inquisition and had even fought against pirates.
Fun fact: until 1563, the Basilica of St Francis housed the Scuola degli Artisti (School of Artists), which grouped together the students of the university who were not dedicated to the study of law. The School was later moved that same year to the new seat of the Bolognese Studium, the Archiginnasio.
