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Church of San Francesco in Bonistallo Small jewel that stands on the top of the Bonistallo hill

The Church of San Francesco stands out on a large terrace, offering a spectacular view of the sumptuous Medici Villa of Poggio a Caiano and the surrounding rolling hills. Its entrance is preceded by a porch adorned with ancient tombstones, which welcomes you with its timeless charm.

Inside, the church reveals its elegance with a single nave, embraced by a lowered barrel vault. Canvases dating back to the 17th and 18th centuries embellish the 18th century environment, transporting you to an era of extraordinary artistic beauty.

Immersed in the past, the church preserves precious details. Stucco decorations gracefully frame the four side doors, while in the rear part of the building are the sacristy and the rooms of the former company. Originally, the church was built as an oratory for the Company of the Stigmata of Saint Francis at the end of the 16th century, but it was completely renovated between 1760 and 1780, taking on the enchanting shape we admire today.

A place of profound historical meaning, the Church of Bonistallo attracted the attention of the Grand Dukes of Tuscany, who owned the sumptuous Medici Villa of Poggio a Caiano in the immediate vicinity. It is here that, in the ancient church of Bonistallo, also known as Santa Maria Assunta, the bowels of Francesco I de' Medici and Bianca Cappello were buried "in four mezzine" (metal containers). The discovery of these burials fueled the hypothesis of arsenic poisoning, but this hypothesis was not confirmed by subsequent scientific studies and the mystery remains thick.

Information

  • Via Bonistallo, 9 - Bonistallo Poggio a Caiano (PO)

  • Ticket: free entrance