Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: San Francesco

Stilo (Stilida) was part of the Byzantine Empire in the 6th century. In 982 it suffered damage from a battle between Otto II . and the Arab-Byzantine troops. The battle had begun near Crotone, but when Otto's troops thought they had won, they were placed here and defeated. Otto II died a year later from malaria in Rome. During the Middle Ages, the coastal inhabitants moved further inland and moved to where Stilo is today. Between 1065 and 1071 Stilo resisted the Norman invasion. At that time it was fortified. Today Stilo is a small town with a population of around 2500. San Francesco is a 16th-century late Baroque church with a little Lourdes chapel.

The church was built in "Lombard Gothic" style for the Friars Minor order between 1278 and 1363, founded in 1209 by Francis of Assisi. Later the church and the adjoining monastery were used by a convent for nuns of the Clarissan order, founded by Saint Clare of Assisi, one of the first followers of Francis. The church was locked, so I could not see the frescoes inside. The rain continued.

Already Bishop Neon had a church built here in the 5th century, but the church got largely rebuilt around 1000. Neon´s tomb was discovered under the floor of the choir in the 19th century. Archbishop Fontana gave the basilica to the Franciscans (= "Order of Friars Minor") in 1261. The monks then dedicated the church to San Francesco (aka "Francesco d'Assisi", "Francis of Assisi"), who had founded the order just about 50 years earlier. The interior of the basilica got significantly altered during the 17th and 18th century. During the excavations end of the 19th century, the crypt of the first church was found and unearthed. It still has original mosaic floor. As the church was erected in soft ground, the crypt was sunken into the ground and got overbuilt arounnd 1000. Today it is under the groundwater level and small goldfish populate the crypt and float over the mosaics.

Already Bishop Neon had a church built here in the 5th century, but the church got largely rebuilt around 1000. Neon´s tomb was discovered under the floor of the choir in the 19th century. Archbishop Fontana gave the basilica to the Franciscans (= "Order of Friars Minor") in 1261. The monks then dedicated the church to San Francesco (aka "Francesco d'Assisi", "Francis of Assisi"), who had founded the order just about 50 years earlier. The interior of the basilica got significantly altered during the 17th and 18th century. During the excavations end of the 19th century, the crypt of the first church was found and unearthed. It still has original mosaic floor. As the church was erected in soft ground, the crypt was sunken into the ground and got overbuilt arounnd 1000. Today it is under the groundwater level.

Already Bishop Neon had a church built here in the 5th century, but the church got largely rebuilt around 1000. Neon´s tomb was discovered under the floor of the choir in the 19th century. Archbishop Fontana gave the basilica to the Franciscans (= "Order of Friars Minor") in 1261. The monks then dedicated the church to San Francesco (aka "Francesco d'Assisi", "Francis of Assisi"), who had founded the order just about 50 years earlier. The interior of the basilica got significantly altered during the 17th and 18th century. After Dante Alighieri had died in Ravenna in 1318, he was buried in this church. Later Florence, where he was born, claimed Dante´s bones and finally in 1519 Pope Leo X authorized the transfer. But the Franciscans stole the bones - and hid them for centuries. They were rediscovered by chance in 1865 - and since then are kept in "Tomba di Dante" just around the corner of this church.

Already Bishop Neon had a church built here in the 5th century, but this church got largely rebuilt around 1000. After Archbishop Fontana gave the basilica to the Franciscans (= "Order of Friars Minor") in 1261, the monks dedicated the church to San Francesco (aka "Francesco d'Assisi", "Francis of Assisi"), who had founded the order just about 50 years earlier.

Already Bishop Neon had a church built here in the 5th century, but this church got rebuilt around 1000. After Archbishop Fontana gave this church to the Franciscans (= "Order of Friars Minor") in 1261, the monks dedicated the church to San Francesco (aka "Francesco d'Assisi", "Francis of Assisi"), who had founded the order just about 50 years earlier. These Franciscans built this nice cloister, next to the church.