Church of São Francisco (Porto)

Church in Porto

The Franciscans began work on the Igreja de São Francisco in 1245, but it was later reformed due to a fire which destroyed the old cloister and part of the church.

The Church of Saint Francis, also known as Igreja de São Francisco, is a prominent Gothic monument in Porto, Portugal, known for its outstanding Baroque inner decoration. The church is located in the historic center of the city, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Franciscan Order was established in Porto in around 1223. They were initially opposed by other religious institutions, but a papal bull, the Bulla Doelentis accepimus by Pope Innocent V, granted them a plot of land. They began building the convent and a small church dedicated to Saint Francis of Assisi around 1244. In 1383, King Ferdinand I sponsored the construction of a larger church, which was completed around 1425. It has a plain Gothic design, typical of the mendicant orders in Portugal. The general structure of the church has not been extensively altered, making it the best example of Gothic architecture in Porto. In the 15th and 16th centuries, prominent families in Porto chose the church as their pantheon. The Chapel of St John the Baptist is a notable example, built in the 1530s for the Carneiro family in Manueline style. The main artistic campaign of the church was carried out in the first half of the 18th century, when most of the surfaces of the interior were covered with Portuguese gilt woodwork in Baroque style. The many Baroque altarpieces in the apse chapels and nave are considered some of

The Church of São Francisco (Porto) appears in our Complete Guide to Visiting Porto!

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