San Francesco Church

living testament to the Franciscan presence in Correggio, the Church of San Francesco has ancient origins: archaeological and documentary sources attest to the existence of a convent as early as the late 14th century and up to 1443.
Thanks to the support of Manfredo II da Correggio and his wife Agnese Pio, the church was rebuilt following a period of decline and embellished during the 15th and 16th centuries.

The building housed masterpieces by Antonio Allegri, known as the Correggio, including the Madonna of St Francis and the Rest on the Flight into Egypt, as well as the tombs of members of the da Correggio family.

Between the 17th and 18th centuries, the complex was enlarged and renovated several times, culminating in Francesco Cipriano Forti’s design (1766) and its subsequent completion in the 19th century.
Restoration work in 1926, directed by Enrico Bertolini, restored the appearance that still characterises the church today.