Church of St. Francis, Forio

Between the town hall and the Santa Maria Visitapoveri brotherhood is a remarkably unassuming church (Chiesa di San Francesco d'Assisi) dating from 1646. In fact, I only happened to glance inside, my attention being drawn to the graceful lines of the adjacent church. The original façade is thought to have had a pediment and Baroque decorations, but was destroyed in 1809. At that time, the King of Naples was Napoleon's Marshal Joachim Murat, who believed that monasteries should not have any architectural excesses.

The history of the church began during an epidemic of plague, or as it was called back then, the Black Death, which struck the island in the early 17th century. In order to save themselves from this deadly disease, the people of Forio made a vow to build a church.

At that time, the Franciscan monastery had great influence in the city, so the church was built on its land and was named after Saint Francis.

In 1866, the monastery was abolished, and its building has been occupied by the city administration ever since. The church has since become a parish church.

The building is made of tufa, the interiors are richly decorated with stucco, the floor is laid with patterned ceramic tiles. Especially spectacular is the vaulted ceiling, decorated with plaster flowers and angels.

The walls were originally painted by the artist Filippo Balbi, but the frescoes were lost during renovations in 1935.

Above the altar of the right-hand chapel, there is one of the most interesting paintings on the island. The painting by Evangelista Schiano, dated 1777, depicts the climax of the crucifixion. Later, a sculpture of Jesus by an unknown artist was added to the painting.

On the side walls of the second left chapel, you can see two works by the artist Seppaluni: The Annunciation and Christmas.

In 1745, the church received an altar made of colored marble. Behind the altar, you can see a late 17th-century painting depicting the Virgin giving instructions to Francis. The painting was created by Giuseppe Simenelli, a student of the renowned Neapolitan artist Luca Giordano.

Above the entrance portal, two angels hold a shield depicting two hands on a cross, the coat of arms of the Franciscan Order. One hand belongs to Christ, and the other to Francis. This symbol represents the idea and purpose of Franciscan spirituality: the constant and lifelong imitation of Christ.

The stained-glass window above the altar depicts the scene of the Descent from the Cross.