Church of San Francesco del Prato
Parma
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The church of San Francesco del Prato is located in Parma, a few steps away from the Cathedral and the Baptistery, on the same square of Casa della Musica and Casa del Suono.
A unique monument for its great historical and cultural value, for its daring architectural lines and its singular story, which today, at last, is coming back to life.
In fact, its story began 800 years ago, when, around 1220, Parma saw the arrival of the friars sent by Saint Francis, who died a few years later, in 1226.
The church was built uninterruptedly over 200 years thanks to the synergy between friars and citizens.
It is the only Gothic church in Parma, and it was built according to the Franciscan canons established by Saint Bonaventure in the Constitutions of Narbonne of 1260.
It remained a place of worship for 600 years, until the Napoleonic decree of 1810, when the religious orders were suppressed, the friars dispersed and the church transformed into a prison. San Francesco del Prato is one of the very few examples of church-prison in Europe, and it served as a detention place until 1970.
After centuries of abandonment, in 2018 the Dioceses obtained the use permit and the restoration works began. An extraordinary recovering work started, with the aim of bringing back San Francesco del Prato to its splendor, thanks to the contributions of sponsors and citizens.
The restoration project brought the building back to its function and its original beauty while maintaining, at the same time, a visible trace of the wounds suffered in the course of history. An example of that are the windows opened on the façade during the prison years: even if they have been walled up, they are intentionally recognizable as thin scars, as testimony to the suffering inflicted to the church and to the numerous inmates who lived in it.
The Church was rededicated on the 3rd of October 2021 and, the following year, the Bishop declared it to be a sanctuary for peace, redemption and reconciliation.
On the website www.sanfrancescodelprato.it you can consult the calendar of the liturgical and cultural events proposed and organized by the extended community of friars and volunteers.
