The Cloister of San Francesco, a panoramic gem in Sorrento

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Adjacent to Sorrento's beautiful Villa Comunale, opens the space, bounded by the walls, of the enchanting Cloister of St. Francis. This is part of the Conventual Complex of St. Francis of Assisi which, set on a scenic promontory overlooking the sea, also includes the Monastery, Church and Villa Comunale. In the background, the picturesque view sweeping the entire coastline provides the perfect backdrop.

The Cloister of San Francesco in Sorrento

A living portrait of a vast history, located in the center of the town of Sorrento, close to the church of the same name and the Villa Comunale. An ideal place to stop surrounded by the villa's vegetation, in one of the nearby bars and where you can enjoy a coffee or aperitif while enjoying the beautiful panoramic view.

The Cloister of St. Francis is characterized by a rectangular plan and is among the oldest monuments that can be visited in Sorrento. A unique construction where the 14th-century style blends with others from later periods and the pagan remains of ancient settlements. Many were in fact the restoration works that affected this site. Evidence of this is inscribed on the capitals of the columns on the ground floor. On those arranged on the northern side of the cloister. We find again the coat of arms of the Sersale family, and on the capitals of the eastern and southern sides, the typical leafy plant motifs that refer to Byzantine influence. The octagonal columns, arranged on the ground floor, now support crossed tufa arches, forming mullioned windows with a late Gothic flavor, now round and pointed arches that took the place of the original 14th-century ogives. The refectory, retains its original fourteenth-century structure.

The rest of the Conventual Complex of St. Francis of Assisi.

The Cloister of St. Francis of Assisi is part of the Complex of the same name to which the Monastery, the Church and the Municipal Villa.

The beautiful Complex looks almost like a little corner of paradise framed by the fresh vegetation of the Villa Comunale while in the background, the entire Sorrento coastline appears lapped by the waters of the sea.

The Monastery and the Church

The Conventual Complex of St. Francis of Assisi, was built near a 7th-century monastery whose rooms are still inhabited by Franciscan friars.

Located next to the Cloister, stands the Church.

Its travertine facade dating from 1926 features a central large window with a tympanum. At the top is a statue of the Immaculate Virgin Mary.

The interior is entered through a wooden doorway from the 1500s that belonged to the now-demolished Church of the Holy Trinity. Stepping through the entrance, one finds oneself on the single nave with rich Baroque decorations. On the 17th-century marble high altar are two busts of winged angels and a canvas.

The angels, canvas and busts of the Church of St. Francis

This represents St. Francis receiving the stigmata and is a work by Francesco Solimena's pupil Antonio Gamba, who painted it in 1737.

Two 18th-century frescoes depicting St. Anthony of Padua and St. James of the Marches, respectively, are preserved in side niches.

On each of the two sides of the nave, there are three chapels. In one is housed the wooden statue of the saint with Christ Crucified. In another, a piece of a tufa column belonging to the old building is housed. Finally, in the third chapel we find: a canvas depicting the transit of St. Joseph, and another, oval-shaped one representing St. Anthony Abbot.

The wooden confessionals in the church, date back to the 1800s.

An Angevin archway placed where once was the passage from the old sacristy to the church is what remains of the 14th-century Franciscan renovation. Here the capitals show decorations with plant motifs.

In fact, the church was restored in the first decades of the 20th century. During this work the nave was vaulted, the side chapels were redone, and the present chancel was built, with the apse extended. The 16th-century choir was replaced by a T-shaped layout with the present altar in the center.

In 1922, a bronze statue depicting St. Francis was placed on the square in front of the church. It was the work of sculptor Alfiero Nena, who wanted to celebrate the greatness of the Saint of Assisi.

The most important things to know about the Cloister of St. Francis

The Cloister of St. Francis is now the perfect setting for musical events and art exhibitions.

In addition, while the church hosts religious celebrations, the cloister, which is municipally owned and surrounded by beautiful and quiet vegetation, is also used as a venue for civil marriage celebrations in Sorrento.

For more information regarding the celebration of civil marriage, contact 081 5335254.

On the second floor of the cloister is an exhibition of musical machines consisting of more than thirty music boxes from all over Europe and the United States dated to the late 1800s.

Visiting the Cloister is easy and open to all: there are no architectural barriers. However, there are no plaques for the blind.

History of the Conventual Complex of St. Francis

The Complex was founded in about the 7th century, under the pontificate of Gregory II, who also erected the originally built ancient oratory dedicated to St. Martin outside the city.

A Benedictine women's coenoby was later established in the oratory. However due to the fact that the structure stood on a site so exposed to Saracen attacks, the nuns were moved to the nearby complex (still next to the Villa Comunale).

In about the 14th century the building was donated to the Franciscan Friars who implemented a series of renovations and created a library.

The 1688 earthquake severely damaged the building, and restoration work lasted from 1690 to 1727. The cloister was reinforced by massive masonry and the original arcades were replaced by large arches.

After the unification of Italy, with the suppression of religious orders, the City of Sorrento thought of allocating the Convent premises for various functions, both civil and religious.

The Cloister dates back to the 14th century and for a long time played a fundamental role in both the religious history of Sorrento and the administrative life of the Cities.

Consider, in fact, that in the late 1400s and early 1500s, it was in the very vicinity of the cloister that the seal of the municipal writings was kept and some council meetings were held.

The Cloister was restored several times. A first restoration took place in the mid-15th century ordered by the guardian father Giovanni Cerconi, as can be read on an epigraph that crowns the first capital to the right of the cloister. The work was carried out during the episcopate of Domizio Falangola, between 1453 and 1470, and the bishop had his own coat of arms (a rampant lion) carved on the same capital.

Most likely the restoration was financed, at least in part, by the noble Sorrento family of Sersale, as can be seen from the presence of their coat of arms on the capitals of the northern side.