Church of São Francisco, Gothic church in São Nicolau district, Porto, Portugal.
The Church of São Francisco is a Gothic church in Porto featuring three naves with intricate interior spaces. The interior is covered with carved wooden panels that have been gilded, creating a shimmering surface throughout.
Construction began in 1383 with royal support and replaced an earlier place of worship. Work continued over several decades and was eventually completed with Gothic forms.
The name refers to Saint Francis of Assisi, whose 13th-century polychrome granite statue stands near the entrance inside a Baroque altarpiece. The Chapel of Saint John the Baptist, built around 1534 for the Carneiro family, keeps a 16th-century painting of the Baptism of Christ set into a later gilded altarpiece.
The building is located in a central district and is easily reached on foot. Visiting is possible throughout the year, though opening times vary depending on the season.
The church keeps a 13th-century polychrome granite statue of Saint Francis of Assisi beside the entrance, set in a Baroque altarpiece. It survives from the small first church replaced after 1383. Near the door, the old pantheon of Luís Álvares de Sousa retains a Gothic portal with a coat of arms and a dedicatory inscription.
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