San Francesco Church, Gothic church in Vigevano, Italy.
San Francesco Church is a Gothic-style building in Vigevano featuring pointed arches and fine stone details. The tall bell tower stands as a defining feature of the structure.
The church was built in 1379 outside the city walls, a year after the convent of the Minor Friars. It was enlarged in 1447, then completely rebuilt on a new axis between 1465 and 1470; the bell tower, begun in 1448, was finished in 1475. The chapel of the Immaculate Conception, designed by Donato Bramante in 1494, was demolished in 1847 to widen Via San Francesco.
The church is still known by the name of the Minor Friars' convent founded a year before it, in 1378. On Via San Francesco, past the right-hand portal, stands the small Baroque ossuary called "Chiesetta dei Morti", a name locals use for the burial structure beside the church.
The church opens regularly for visitors and can be entered through the main portal on Via San Francesco. It is wise to check opening times beforehand, as religious services may affect access.
On Via San Francesco, just past the right side portal of the church, stands a Baroque ossuary known as the Chiesetta dei Morti. It is a separate small structure built against the church wall, easy to miss when entering the main door.
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