Chiesa Nuova, Assisi

Church in Assisi

Chiesa Nuova, Assisi
CC BY-SA 4.0 / Feldstein

In 1615, this church emerged on the site believed to be Saint Francis’s birthplace, within the house of Pietro di Bernardone. Initially known as the “New Church,” it marked the culmination of Assisi’s fervent church-building era. The catalyst? Spanish Vicar General Antonio de Trejo’s dismay at the state of Saint Francis’s modest birth home during his 1613 visit to Assisi. With support from Spain and a hefty sum of 6,000 ducats, the vision materialized.

In a grand ceremony, Pope Paul V laid the cornerstone, parading it from San Rufino Cathedral to the construction site. Exhibiting late Renaissance style, the church features a soaring dome adorned with coffered ceilings, crowned with a lantern and drum.

Inside, 17th-century frescoes grace the walls, but the pièce de résistance? The high altar atop Saint Francis’s birth room, where visitors can glimpse the shop where he once traded and the staircase where his father once confined him. Legend holds that it was here Francis made his life-altering choice to renounce worldly wealth.

Adjacent to the church, the friary serves as both a museum and home to an impressive Franciscan library, housing ancient codices and rare volumes.

The Chiesa Nuova, Assisi appears in our Complete Guide to Visiting Assisi!

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Visiting Chiesa Nuova, Assisi

Duration: 20 minutes

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