The Basilica of San Francesco in Ravenna was first built around 450 by Neo, Bishop of Ravenna, and dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul. It was also called the Church of the Apostles. In the late ninth and tenth centuries it was demolished to make way for a larger church and a tall bell tower, both of which survive. The new church was dedicated to Saint Peter as San Pietro Maggiore.
In 1261 it was handed to the Franciscans and rededicated to Francis of Assisi. Dante Alighieri's funeral was held here in 1321, and his tomb is nearby.
Baroque altars were added between 1500 and 1700. A radical restoration from 1918 to 1921, timed to the 600th anniversary of Dante's death, removed the Baroque additions to recover something close to the original style. The Franciscans resumed care of the church in 1949, and it remains a parish church.
Comments