Overview
The basilica of San Francesco alla Rocca in Viterbo was elevated to the rank of minor basilica by Pius XII in 1949. On the inside are the tombs of two popes: Clemente IV and Adriano V.
Built in 1237, on land donated to the Franciscans by Pope Gregory IX, the convent complex adjacent to the church also included a palace, known as the Alemanni, dating back to 1208. During the 16th and 17th centuries, the place was renovated, with the addition of Baroque elements, which covered the original Romanesque features. The church was partially destroyed by the Allied bombing of 17 January 1944, but was later rebuilt by the Superintendence of Lazio Monuments. Reconstruction work led to the removal of the Baroque alterations and the restoration of the original Romanesque structure. The basilica was presided over for many decades by the Friars Minori Conventuali. The façade features a Romanesque portal, with twisted columns, and the insignia of Pope Pius XII as a memento of the granting of the title of "minor basilica" (1949). The church also has a bell gable that includes a bell from 1259. The adjoining convent, seat of the military district of Viterbo, has hosted saints, popes and emperors throughout its history, until its expropriation in 1873, it was home to the Franciscan Theological University. Of particular interest is a hexagonal pulpit, which was constructed in 1428 to celebrate the preaching of San Bernardino da Siena in Viterbo.
