Basilica di San Francesco

Francesco died at the age of about 44 years and after two years, July 16 1228, the Pontifex laid the first stone of the future Basilica of San Francesco. It is supposed that the Sanctuary was projected like church of two floors, of which the lower part, designed for the remains of San Francesco, would have been the commemorative church, taking on so the typical function of "crypt", that is of masuleo erected on the sepulchre of a Saint; while the upper floor was designed at the liturgical functions of official chracter, in the abside in fact, riese the papal throne and the Divine Pontefix is Bishop of this church. Only more late, in the 1749, under the pontificate of Benedetto XIV, was erected also in the lower Church a second papal throne for privilege. The Sanctuary of Assisi is one of the ancientest gothic churches on the italian ground and of notable importance are the frescos of Giotto, Cimabue, Simone Martini and Pietrp Lorenzetti containe in its inside.