page_title: San Francesco, San Gemini
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: San Francesco, San Gemini / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Detail entrance door jamb with Capitoni code of arms.
context_page_description: San Francesco is Gothic-style, Roman Catholic, church in a piazza of the same name in the town of San Gemini, region of Umbria, Italy. The 13-14th-century church was erected by the Franciscan order and dedicated to St Francis, who visited the town at least twice in his lifetime.
context_section_description: According to Tommaso da Celano’s Life of Saint Francis (Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone), whose nickname was Francesco (b.1181 – d.1226) visited San Gemini two times. The first time in 1213, when he was the guest of Count Pietro Capitoni whose wife was possessed by a demon. The saint performed a miracle by ordering the demon to leave the woman.
  Sometime after the death of San Francis, in 1226 the Capitoni family donated the land for Church and Franciscan monasteries. Francis of Assisi in his lifetime became an extremely popular preacher, particularly in Umbria, and in practically every town there were groups of his followers. Soon after his death and canonization in 1228,  Franciscan churches and monasteries were being built. This church was originally located outside the city walls, facing the main city gate (porta Burgi) and an area that was used as the main market ground. It was common at the time for monastic complexes to be located outside of the city boundaries, in order to maintain greater independence from the local bishops. The Capitoni family was the main patron during construction of the church, their coat of arms is shown prominently in the capitals of the entrance door jambs.
  Construction of the church probably starts in the second half of the 13th century, in a Romanesque style, and is not completed until the beginning of the 14th century, when it takes the form of a simple Franciscan-Gothic style church. The apse and the front portal, which are done in a more elaborate gothic style, are probably the last components to be built. At this time the church had three gothic style side chapels along the left side wall.
  The church seems to have gone through three major renovations: one in the 15th century, in the 18th century and in 1953-55.
caption: Door jamb with Capitoni coat of arms
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