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Messina in Sicilia - Churchs of S. Francesco

In 1255, Pope Alexander IV sent, from Rome, the foundation stone for the construction of the first church built by the Franciscan Order in Sicily. The work was completely funded by the nobles of Messina and, in particular by Violante Palizzi, Eleonora Procida and Beatrice Belfiore, who all entered the Third Franciscan Order. This extremely high church evokes architectural forms from continental Europe, and was one of the very few Angevin constructions in Sicily; it was in fact against the Angevin king Charles that the island rebelled in the Sicilian Vespers.

The church and its adjacent convent originally stood outside the city walls, but were absorbed by the espanding town in the 16th century. Patiently reconstructed after the 1908 earthquake, the fine crenellated aspes, "quoted" by the great Antonello, in the background of his painting "Deposition" in the Correr Museum in Venice, were rebuilt using the fallen stones. The portal of the facade, the rosette and the side entrance portal were likewise completely rebuilt. Inside, it is still possible to admire part of the ancient floor showing a large star in inlaid stone. The church is known to the local people as the "Immacolata" due to its silver statue of the Virgin. In the past, the church also contained important examples of 16th and 17th century paintings, as well as the tombs of Federick III of Aragon and other members of his family.

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