I came across a fascinating Gothic church in Parma, which has a curious story. Chiesa di San Francesco del Prato, on the north side of the town was once one of the cities most important churches. Founded in 1240 by the Franciscan order, on the then outskirts of Parma, the church became popular with the most wealthy citizens of the city. It was completed in 1398, and marks a transition between Romanesque and Gothic, in its Italian form.
In 1804, with the arrival of Napoleon Bonaparte's troops, the monks were expelled and the church was turned into a prison. Arches were bricked up, internal floors were built and barred windows were cut into the outer walls. The frescoes were painted over with uniformly grey paint.
The monastic complex remained the city's prison until 1993. In 2018 restauration work was started, bringing some of the past splendour back to this church. In 2021 the church was reconsecrated.
On the outside, you can see where the prison windows have been filled in with brickwork of a slightly different colour. On the inside, atmosphere is of a partial ruin, with fragments of frescoes on the columns and the scaffolding for the ongoing restauration work.
Mostly shot with a D850 and a Nikon 24mm PC and the old but still good Nikkor 35mm PC. Manfrotto 055 Tripod with Junior geared head.
