San Francesco al Prato, Gothic church in central Parma, Italy.
San Francesco al Prato is a Gothic church in central Parma with three aisles separated by columns, where the central aisle rises higher than the two side sections. The building displays characteristic Gothic features including lancet windows and a rose window.
Franciscans founded the building between 1227 and 1238 as part of their presence in the city. After expansions through 1462, the church later served as a prison from 1800 to 1993 before regaining its religious purpose.
Medieval frescoes decorate the interior, including a Christ Pantocrator in the apse created by Bernardino Grossi and Jacopo Loschi. These artworks still shape the visual character of the church space today.
The building is currently undergoing restoration to repair window frames and reinstate original single-lancet windows. Visitors should be aware that restoration work is ongoing and access or viewing of certain interior sections may be temporarily affected.
The building's orientation connects the liturgical space with astronomical cycles: the apse faces the winter solstice sunrise, while the rose window captures the summer solstice sunset light. This subtle astronomical alignment links architecture with cosmic patterns.
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