Church of St. Francis
(Old convent), built between 1293 and 1315, when it was consecrated. It represents an important example of Gothic architecture in Umbria; the facade shows a beautiful Gothic portal, while the interior features a single nave divided into wide bays with cross vaults and a semicircular apse divided in niches and decorated by wall columns and frescoes. Of particular interest are the frescoes dating from the early fourteenth century to the sixteenth century, including some works by Matteo da Gualdo: the Crucifixion in the apse, the Holy Virgin with Child and a St. Francis in the third arch on the left. Equally interesting are the local pottery works, such as the altarpiece of SS. Trinity (1528). The Church of St. Francis, a wonderful example of devotional art linked to the Franciscan order, was built in the late thirteenth century to accommodate the Franciscans of the convent. It is located on the main square of the old town of Gualdo Tadino, Martyrs of Liberty Square, on the opposite side of St. Benedict’s Cathedral. Its facade, however, overlooks Corso Italia, while the left side faces the square created on the cloister of a demolished convent. The building’s facade is characterized by a gabled roof and a monumental Gothic portal; the latter is surmounted by a trefoil lunette and shows an opening with a pointed arch decorated with capitals with Acanthus leaves. Noteworthy are also the majestic cylindrical buttresses arranged on the side of the building, according to the typical church construction model of Assisi. Equally imposing is the bell tower, located next to the apse, with its square plan and its end in terracotta tiles. Inside, the church features a single nave divided into three bays and covered by transverse arches and ribbed vaults, a structure reminiscent of the Church of St. Francis in Assisi, with the ambulatory below the vaults running all along the perimeter. The presbytery culminates in the octagonal apse, featuring three high Gothic windows. Particularly rich is the decoration of the walls, frescoed with paintings of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. The most valuable works here are undoubtedly those by Matteo da Gualdo. Supported by his workshop, he painted the Crucifixion of the apse, the Holy Virgin with Child and Saint Francis in the third arch on the left and St. Anne on the pillar between the first and second chapel of the church. The latter is the oldest known work by this artist and a particularly significant piece to understand his production. Finally, worth mentioning are the choir, the main altar and the pulpit on the left, all three dating back to the sixteenth century. Over the centuries, the Cathedral underwent several restoration works, especially after being badly damaged by the earthquake of 1751.