Ravenna - San Francesco

Already Bishop Neon had a church built here in the 5th century, but the church got largely rebuilt around 1000. Neon´s tomb was discovered under the floor of the choir in the 19th century.

Archbishop Fontana gave the basilica to the Franciscans (= "Order of Friars Minor") in 1261. The monks then dedicated the church to San Francesco (aka "Francesco d'Assisi", "Francis of Assisi"), who had founded the order just about 50 years earlier.

The interior of the basilica got significantly altered during the 17th and 18th century.

After Dante Alighieri had died in Ravenna in 1318, he was buried in this church. Later Florence, where he was born, claimed Dante´s bones and finally in 1519 Pope Leo X authorized the transfer. But the Franciscans stole the bones - and hid them for centuries. They were rediscovered by chance in 1865 - and since then are kept in "Tomba di Dante" just around the corner of this church.