Discover The Brilliant San Francesco Museum In Montefalco

In the Municipality of Montefalco you will find a rather incredible place; the Complex of San Francesco. This a complex of buildings made up of a Franciscan church, convent, museum and picture gallery, wine cellars and crypt and is, unexpectedly, one of the best little cultural institutions that you have never heard of before.

The heart of the complex is the Church of San Francesco, which is homes to 16th century frescoes painted by Benozzo Gozzoli, in the chapel of San Girolamo and in the apse, including scenes from the life of St. Francis.

These are among the most important and well-maintained painting of the cycles of the Renaissance and, as such, are a must-see for art lovers visiting the area. The church itself was built between 1335 and 1338 by the Friars Minor on a rectangular plan and it is composed by a central nave ending in a pentagonal apse.

This is where Gozzoli's twenty episodes from the saint’s life are narrated in twelve scenes arranged on three register but another Renaissance gem is located on the counter-façade; a fresco depicting the Nativity with the Eternal in Glory among Angels and the Annunciation that was painted in 1503 by Pietro Vannucci, more famously known as Perugino.

Then there is the picture gallery that houses paintings, frescoes fragments originating from other churches of the territory, textiles and other objects.

Among the artists represented by the collection are Antonio Aquili, known as Antoniazzo Romano, Niccolò di Liberatore known as L'Alunno, Cristoforo di Iacopo and Melozzo da Forlì.

For some, the Franciscan wine cellars might be the highlight of the whole thing.

They were unearthed during the last restoration of the complex and have been accessible and open to visitors since 2006. On display in the space are objects from eighteenth and nineteenth century grape processing and wine production.

All of this is found in one building complex in a small Umbrian town. Just find a vacation rental in Montefalco and you will already have a day's itinerary planned for your next trip to Italy!