CHURCH OF ST FRANCIS

CHURCH OF ST FRANCIS (CHIESA DI SAN FRANCESCO) This Church is located outside the medieval quarter, and is located on the piazza of the same name. Tradition relates that it was founded by St Francis during his trip to Gaeta. The Church's facade, redone in 1893, presents a double order punctuated with pilasters crowned by a triangular tympanum. Inside, there is a precious altar-piece depicting the Madonna of Loreto with Saints Bartholomew, Joseph, James and Francis by Andrea Sacchi (1599-1661). This painter, born in Nettuno, was one of the most important exponents of Roman classicism in the 1600s. Along the right aisle there is the fifteenth-century fresco Sant'Antonio Abate. Other frescoes, all quite ancient, are visible in the sacristy. Through openings in the floor it is possible to see the remains of the Roman structures upon which the Church was built.