San Francesco d'Assisi, Baroque church in Gallipoli, Italy

San Francesco d'Assisi is a baroque church in Gallipoli with three naves and ten ornate altars distributed along its side walls. The interior was transformed into its current style between the 17th and 18th centuries, while preserving the structure of an earlier medieval building.

The church's oldest core dates to the 13th century, but 17th- and 18th-century rebuilding concealed the medieval lines. The carparo facade was redone in 1736 by Mauro Manieri, whose two-level design carries the Franciscan emblem and an epigraph recording the construction year.

The Chapel of the Crucifix was built at the wish of the Spanish castellan don Josè della Cueva and holds two wooden statues of the thieves by Vespasiano Genuino, carved in the 17th century. The face of the thief called Misma, known as Malladrone, has a mocking, terrifying expression; Gabriele D'Annunzio, in Gallipoli in 1895, wrote of its "horrid beauty".

The church is located near the center of Gallipoli and is accessible during regular service hours. It is advisable to check visiting times with local information offices, as accessibility may vary depending on religious events.

The Chapel of the Crucifix was built at the wish of the Spanish castellan don Josè della Cueva. Its two wooden statues of the thieves are 17th-century work by Vespasiano Genuino; the one called Malladrone, showing Misma, has a mocking, terrifying face that Gabriele D'Annunzio, in Gallipoli in 1895, called "horrid beauty".