The church of St. Francis stood in the historic Stampace district, between present-day Corso Vittorio Emanuele II and Via Mameli. The complex, comprising the church, cloister and monastery, was expanded from the 15th century with the addition of side chapels. The Franciscans remained there until their forced removal in 1861; later the complex was adapted as a Carabinieri barracks, and it suffered progressive deterioration: in 1871 lightning damaged the church bell tower, which led to the subsequent collapse of the roof in 1875, resulting in the ruin of the perimeter walls and the gradual dismantling of the building. At present only a few remains have survived and are partially visible: a few meters of the 35 of the cloister defined by Canon Spano as “the most beautiful cloister of the convents of Sardinia formed in square with Gothic architecture, and with arches that in the capitals and in the middle of the vault are adorned with Saints, and sculpted monstrous figures,” the church portal reassembled in the facade of the Sanctuary of Bonaria and a few chapels vaulted and ribbed, with pendulous gem visible inside some commercial premises along Corso Vittorio Emanuele II.
The convent represented the most prestigious Franciscan seat on the Island. The original layout of the church, with a single nave and wooden roof, and the later modifications are known thanks to the survey carried out by Carlo Pizzagalli in 1874. There are numerous surviving artistic testimonies, including sepulchres, coats of arms and retables, which indicate the extraordinary attention of Cagliari’s noble and merchant class to the church of San Francesco, often chosen as a burial site. The church also housed works of great artistic endeavor such as “The Triptych of the Consolation” by Michele Cavaro, “The Icon of the Annunciation” by Juan Mates, and “The Retablo of San Bernardino” by Juan Figuera.
Knowing and preserving the memory of the story of the San Francesco di Stampace complex is the best way to revive an important page in the history of the city of Cagliari and to pay tribute to those passionate art historians whose research and studies gave dignity and life to this important monument.
