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The Church and Convent of St Francis in Terracina: a Medieval Complex Transformed into a Hospital
In Via San Francesco Nuovo, in Terracina, the complex of the Church and Convent of San Francesco has had many lives. According to tradition, it was founded in 1222 by Francis of Assisi in person, following his passage through the city. Little remains of the original Cistercian Gothic layout, thanks in no small part to the bombing raids of the Second World War.
Following the Fossanova Model
The architecture was in compliance with Cistercian canons, and clearly inspired by the Abbey of Fossanova, situated a few miles away. It had sober lines, exposed stonework, no decorative excesses. The most visible medieval element is the small bell tower, with its characteristic conical covering, the only detail that allows one to imagine what the whole must have looked like before 1944.
From Convent to Civil Hospital
In 1874 the complex ceased to be a place of worship, and became a care facility. For 120 years — until 1994 — it was the civil hospital of Terracina. Born to foster contemplation, it ended up housing doctors, nurses and patients. This has happened frequently in Italy, where closed convents became barracks, schools and military warehouses. Here something similar happened, but with a longer outcome: a century and more spent caring for the town and its citizens.
What Can Be Seen Today
The postwar reconstruction does not mirror the original layout, and the interior is not open for visiting. The building can be observed only from the outside, and can be easily reached from Via Anxur.
