Church of San Francesco, Gothic Revival church in Gallarate, Italy.
The Church of San Francesco stands on Piazza Risorgimento in central Gallarate, built from 1906 to 1910 to a Gothic Revival design by architect Gaetano Moretti. A marble plaque left of the main entrance names the industrial and noble families, among them Majno, Cantoni, Ponti, Bonicalzi, Forni and Sartorio, who funded the construction. The interior frescoes were finished and the new facade inaugurated in 1919.
This building was constructed starting in 1906, when Italian architects revived medieval Gothic design elements. This return to historical styles was part of a broader architectural movement of that period.
The church keeps the memory of two Milanese cardinals: Efrem Forni, buried by his own wish in the monumental sarcophagus left of the main altar, and Giovanni Colombo, archbishop of Milan. Since 1965 cloistered Benedictine nuns have lived in the adjoining monastery and care for the church.
Access is straightforward from the city center, and visits during worship times or special events are welcome. It is helpful to check opening hours in advance, as these shift with seasons and scheduled activities.
The church was funded by Gallarate's industrial families — Majno, Cantoni, Ponti, Bonicalzi, the noble Forni and Sartorio — whose names are recorded on a marble plaque to the left of the central entrance. Cardinal Efrem Forni is buried, by his own wish, in the monumental sarcophagus left of the main altar.
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