Convent of San Francesco

The former church and the Franciscan convent constitute the complex of San Francesco, the oldest in the Bolognese area.

The majestic building of the church, completely rebuilt in the Eighteenth Century, suffered many unfortunate historical vicissitudes, such as a mysterious disappearance of a Guercino’s canva dedicated to San Francesco during the first Napoleonic dispossession and the expropriation of the whole complex by the New Kingdom of Italy. 

Later on, the church was transformed into a military barracks and then into a municipal depot and a fire station. The wide central nave was restored, preserving its original composition. Today, it shows Corinthian capitals, Franciscan signs and Eighteenth Century pictorial walls as well as empty chapels that tell us ancient stories of different eras. 

The convent with its beautiful Fifteenth-Century cloister, was transformed into municipal schools. After the earthquake and renovation, the convent now houses the  “Fisica Experience” museum, a dynamic exhibition with interactive activities to allow visitors to understand physics in a simple and effective way.