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Sorrento Church of San Francesco 
Built on the site of the Church of San Francesco in the 7th century was a monastery. In the 8th century, a church was founded there by Sant’Antonino, the patron saint of Sorrento. In the 14th century, Franciscan friars transformed it into a much bigger church and dedicated it to their founder, Saint Francis of Assisi. It was also at that time that the cloister was constructed using the Baroque style, although it contains arches and columns from different periods. These are considered to be one of Sorrento’s finest historic attractions and are often used for weddings, art exhibitions, and concerts.  In 1926, to mark the seventh centenary of the death of San Francesco, the Church façade was updated to include a marble finish, although the beautifully carved 16th-century wooden door was retained. Visitors enter the church up the four steps of the front facade and through the 16th-century wooden portal, which recently underwent a restoration.   Inside, the church is a single aisle.  Along each side are three chapels which contain statues. The first one on the left upon entry holds a statue of Santa Rita da Cascia, the patron saint of impossible causes. The second chapel on the left has a statue of the Madonna Immaculata, the patroness of Sorrento.  At the end of the left aisle, is a painting depicting the Madonna.  The first chapel on the right has a statue of San Francesco with Christ crucified, donated to the church by a local family in the 17th century.  The second chapel on the right has a statue of Sant’Antonio da Padova, the patron saint of lost things. At the far end of the nave is the High Altar with a painting above it dating to 1735 which shows St. Francis receiving the stigmata.  To the right of the altar is a statue of the Madonna.  During the 14th century, municipal documents and the seal of the town were kept in the sacristy of the church within a box that could be opened only with four different keys, During the 20th century restoration work a number of items were found that were given to the Correale Museum.
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All Photographs were taken by and are copyright of Ron Gatepain
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