The history of the Basilica

Timeline of the main phases of construction, decoration and digital documentation of the Basilica of Saint Francis

Event Category

The origins of the Basilica

1. 1226

   Death of Saint Francis of Assisi

   Saint Francis dies on 3 October at the Porziuncola. Already widely revered, Francis becomes the focus of a spiritual movement that will leave a lasting mark on the history of the Church.

2. 1228

   Canonisation and the beginning of construction

   Just two years after Francis’s death, Pope Gregory IX canonises him and lays the foundation stone of the Basilica, marking the beginning of one of the most important religious building projects of the Middle Ages.

3. 1228 / 1253

   Construction of the Basilica complex

   The Lower Basilica is built to house the tomb of Saint Francis, with the Upper Basilica rising above it. The complex was consecrated in 1253 by Pope Innocent IV.

4. 1230

   Translation of the remains of Saint Francis

   On 25 May 1230, the remains of Saint Francis are transferred to the new Basilica, reinforcing the complex’s role as a central place of remembrance and devotion.

The great medieval decorative programme

1. 1250 / 1270

   The decorative programme begins

   The decorative programme of the Upper Basilica begins to take shape with the creation of the stained-glass windows in the choir and transepts, forming the first part of its iconographic scheme.

   Around 1260 - The first cycle of frescoes

   The Master of Saint Francis creates one of the Basilica’s earliest painted cycles: the Scenes from the Life of Saint Francis in the Lower Basilica, among the earliest representations of the Saint’s life.

2. 1277 / 1290

   The frescoes by Cimabue

   Cimabue and other leading thirteenth-century masters carry out the first major decorative campaign in the Upper Basilica, including the frescoes in the choir, apse and transepts, as well as the decoration of the nave vaults with figures of the Doctors of the Church and the Evangelists.

3. 1290 / 1295

   The Giotto cycle

   The Scenes from the Life of Saint Francis are painted along the nave of the Upper Basilica. Comprising 28 scenes, the cycle is attributed to Giotto and his workshop.

4. 1307 / 1308

   Giotto’s frescoes in the Lower Basilica

   Giotto and his workshop fresco the Chapel of St Mary Magdalene in the Lower Basilica.

5. 1313 / 1319

   The frescoes by Martini and Lorenzetti

   Simone Martini and Pietro Lorenzetti work in the Lower Basilica during this period. Martini paints the frescoes in the Chapel of St Martin, while Lorenzetti creates the great Passion of Christ cycle in the transept.

   Around 1334 - Decoration of the presbytery vault in the Lower Basilica

   The cross vault of the presbytery in the Lower Basilica is frescoed with the Franciscan Allegories and the Apotheosis of Saint Francis, attributed to Giotto and his workshop.

Conservation and enhancement of the monument

1. 1818 / 1820

   Rediscovery of the tomb of Saint Francis

   The remains of Saint Francis are discovered and examined beneath the high altar of the Lower Basilica. A Neoclassical crypt is subsequently built, making the tomb accessible to pilgrims.

2. 1997

   Photographic documentation for Mirabilia Italiae

   A comprehensive photographic campaign documents both the Lower and Upper Basilicas for the publication of Mirabilia Italiae - The Basilica of Saint Francis in Assisi, produced by Franco Cosimo Panini Editore.

3. 1997

   Earthquake and damage to the Basilica

   On 26 September 1997, an earthquake struck the Basilica, causing sections of the Upper Basilica vaulting to collapse and seriously damaging this site of universal cultural significance.

4. 1998 / 1999

   Restoration and reopening of the Basilica

   The photographic documentation produced by the publishing house Franco Cosimo Panini (Gruppo Panini Cultura) proves crucial in reconstructing the collapsed sections and enabling the restoration work to begin. The Basilica reopens in November 1999.

5. 2009

   First gigapixel digitisation of Giotto’s frescoes

   Haltadefinizione carries out the gigapixel digitisation of all 28 scenes in Giotto’s Franciscan cycle in the Upper Basilica.

6. 2023

   New digitisation campaign and 360° viewer

   A new ultra-high-resolution imaging campaign in the Upper Basilica leads to the development of a 360° viewer, designed to provide broader access to the gigapixel images of Giotto’s cycle and support their detailed study.

7. 2024

   3D survey of the Basilica

   3D surveying work undertaken in an academic context contributes to a deeper understanding of the monument’s geometry and structure, supporting further research and future conservation work.

8. 2025

   Digitisation of the Lower Basilica

   Gigapixel digitisation begins in the Chapel of St Mary Magdalene and the Chapel of St Martin, extending high-resolution documentation to the Lower Basilica.

9. 2026

   Launch of "Preserving Assisi"

   Eight hundred years after the death of Saint Francis, Preserving Assisi is launched: a comprehensive digitisation project covering the entire Basilica and creating an ultra-high-resolution digital twin of the complex.