The Chiesa Nuova is a church in Assisi, Italy, built in 1615 on the site of the presumed birthplace of St. Francis, the house of Pietro di Bernardone. It was then called Chiesa Nuova because it was the last church to be built in Assisi at that time. It was erected because, during a visit to Assisi in 1613, Antonio de Trejo, the Spanish Vicar General of the Franciscans, was saddened when he saw the original home of St. Francis becoming dilapidated. With the help of the Spanish Embassy in Rome and through a donation of 6,000 ducats by King Philip III of Spain, he was able to buy the house. Pope Paul V authenticated this purchase on 10 July 1615 and blessed the first stone. On 20 September 1615 this foundation stone was then brought, in a solemn procession, from the Cathedral of San Rufino to the building site. …The church, built in late Renaissance style, features a high dome divided in coffers, with lantern and a drum. Such a caisson ceiling is a feature of Renaissance architecture. The plan is a Greek cross one, with nave and transepts of the same length, inspired by the church of Sant'Eligio degli Orefici in Rome, one of the few churches designed and built by Raphael. The church is decorated with frescoes by Cesare Sermei and Giacomo Giorgetti (17th century).
The high altar was set over the room of St. Francis. One can also visit the shop where Francis sold his cloth and the stairwell in which Francis was imprisoned by his father. This is the place where Francis decided to answer the divine call and to renounce worldly goods.
Erected in 1615 on the remains of a building believed to be the home of St. Francis. The building’s architecture design is from the Renaissance period. The façade, built of brick, is divided by four pillars supporting a Doric entablature, with attic gable, above which rises a hemispherical dome. The interior has a Greek cross structure, covered by domes in the arms and in the main building with an octagonal base. The surface is entirely covered with frescoes, dating back to 1621 and the stucco decorations date back to 1769. There are frescoes by Cesare Sermei and Vincenzo Giorgetti. In the pillars supporting the dome are eight episodes from the life of St. Francis. On the left is the cell where Pietro Bernardone locked the young Francis in chains to divert him from his life as a penitent and his love for the poor; the interior houses a wooden statue of the saint in prayer (XVII century).