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Teramo Turismo

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St Francis Church

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St Francis Church is the oldest religious building in Campli, built in the 14th century right in the historic centre of the town. It presents the unmistakable Romanesque style, plain and basic, almost bare: the ground plan shows one long nave and a wood-trussed roof that covers the church for its entire length and connects through a big pointed arch with the rectangular apse surmounted by a ribbed vault.

The gable façade features the beautiful portal in calcareous stone, richly engraved (a clear reminder of the portal of St Anthony’s Church façade in Teramo). Inside the main rectangular hall with a pointed arch at the end preserves many artworks: from the small chapels on either side of the main entrance - each frescoed with works inspired by Giotto’s style - to the Piety above the presbytery attributed to the Master of Offida. Also kept in here is the oldest representation of the town crest. A must-see is also the sixteenth-century Annunciation and a Renaissance painting of 1500 representing The Miracle of Saint Francis of Paola, a replica of Camuccini’s painting. The wood Cross of 1300 currently under restoration used to be on the Triumphal Arch.

The convent’s cloister was partially demolished and the remaining part converted into an Archaeological Museum. It presents two suggestive arcades, one decorated with double lancet windows and with a portal, which used to give access to the Capitular Room. In the early years of the 17th century a cycle of frescos about the Saint of Assisi were realized under the arcade along with the family crests of the nobles who commissioned the restoration. Unfortunately, none of these artworks survived.

Also of great interest is the over 40-meter tall Bell Tower.

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