Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, Minor basilica and church building in Ferrara, Italy

The Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi is a Renaissance church in Ferrara characterized by its balanced facade and ornamental stone details throughout. The interior follows Renaissance proportions, with careful attention to symmetry and the use of light to create a sense of order.

Construction began in 1494 under architect Biagio Rossetti during a major period of architectural renewal in Ferrara. The building emerged from efforts to transform the city into a model Renaissance center following new design principles.

This basilica serves as a living place of worship where locals and visitors experience Renaissance spirituality through its architectural design. The building shows how religious spaces were imagined and built during a time of great artistic change in the city.

The basilica stands at the corner of via Terranuova and via Savonarola, not on a piazza. Its interior was long closed after the 2012 Emilia earthquake, with only one transept and an adjoining small chapel left usable; after several years of restoration it reopened for worship. Check locally whether the left chapel with Garofalo's fresco is accessible, as it has been under restoration.

The church holds the tomb of Parisina Malatesta, second wife of Niccolò III d'Este, executed in 1425 for adultery and buried here among other members of the Este house. A 5th-century Ravenna sarcophagus in the left transept was later reused by the Ariosti family, who had their heraldic devices carved on its base.