San Francesco, Ferrara
San Francesco is a late-Renaissance, Roman Catholic minor basilica church located on via Terranuova in Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna, Italy.
In 1341-1344 was built the present layout with a Gothic design is attributed to the masters Armanno, Taddeo and Falconetto da Fontana.
[2] During the Erculean Addition patronised by Ercole I d'Este, the church was reconstructed in a Renaissance-style by the architect Biagio Rossetti.
In 1864, the altarpieces depicting the Madonna del Pilastro and Child with St. Jerome, the Baptist, St. Anthony of Padua, another Saint, and Lodovica Trotti and the Resurrection of Lazarus (1532), both by Benvenuto Tisi (Garofalo) were moved to the civic museum.
The chancel had two canvases flanking the altar, depicting a Virgin at the Temple and Christ among the Doctors by either Antonio Bonfanti or his brother.
[7] The first chapel (Montachiese family) of the nave had an altarpiece of the Burial of Christ, attributed to either the Flemish Arrigo Clochero or the Milanese Ambrogio Fighini.
The next chapel had an altarpiece of the Virgin with Saints John the Baptist, Sebastian, and Bonaventure by Giuseppe Mazzuoli, a Salvatori nella Cimazio by Carlo Bononi.
The walls had a Saint Francis receiving stigmata from Jesus-child by Monio; a Last Supper by Dionigio Calvart, others by Giovanni Vengembes.
In the nave crossing, the cenotaph of Marchese Ghiron Francesco Villa had a nearby Visitation by Domenico Panetti.
The first altar near the portal of the church has a canvas with Virgin and Saints and a Donor with God the Father, attributed to Camillo Filippi.
The chapel of the Ciborium held an altarpiece with a Resurrection of Lazarus by Garofalo; while below the windows are Jesus at Gesthemane and Descent to Limbo by Andrea Bulzoni.
[12] In the Vicenzi Chapel once hung four Flemish-style tapestries, woven in Ferrara to designs of either Dossi or Pordenone, depicting the Life and Death of Saint Francis.
In the sacristy were two large canvases, once in the first chapel, by Monio, depicting the Presentation of the Virgin and Annunciation with a God the father and Christ in Heaven with Angels above, Saint Francis and Bonaventure below by the Franciscan Agostino Righini.
The refectory had a crucifix and a Moses brings water from the Rock painted by Costanzo Cattanio and a Marriage of Cana by il Fiammingo.
The last burial in this tomb was Niccolò di Leonello, called Véla, decapitated in 1476 for having invaded the Duchy under Duke Ercole I d'Este.
Saint Bernardino had preached in town against vanity and long trains in women's dresses and fled after being made bishop of Ferrara.
[17] A guide in 1835 noted that the best pictures had been moved to the Pinacoteca Comunale, and that the structural foundations of the church were in poor state.
The main altar of polychrome marble, had an image of the Virgin in precious stones and bronze, donated by Cardinal Bonifazio Bevilacqua.
